Best Records of 2009

Best 7"s of 2009

1. Brain Killer- s/t
2. Quick Fix- 6 Song EP
3. Dark Ages- Vicious Lie
4. Slices- s/t #1
5. Boiling Over- Trash City

Brain Killer released an amazing demo and 7" this year, and I expect big things for them in 2010. They remind me of bands like Deathreat and No Parade, which for my money, not enough bands do. Quick Fix released a 1 sided 7" with little fanfare, but I probably recommended that record more than anything this year. Dark Ages followed up their demo from last year with a killer 7", which I think was criminally underrated. I caught Slices at a show in Pittsburgh on tour, and they blew me away with their unique sound. It's like they took the guitar/bass tone of power violence and applied it to the Black Flag blueprint. Boiling Over really brought it with their "Trash City" record, and I definitely gave this baby quite a few spins in 2009.

Best 12"s of 2009

1. Coke Bust- Lines In the Sand
2. Hjertestop- Vi Ses I Helvede
3. Urban Blight- More Reality
4. Sacred Shock- You're Not With Us
5. Paintbox- Trip Trance & Travelling

I always liked Coke Bust, but I definitely found myself saying "holy crap, when did Coke Bust get awesome?" This LP really destroys their previous records, and has all the elements of a great hardcore record. For some reason it seemed like a lot of people were hating on the Hjertestop LP, but I really loved it and thought it was just as good as their EP. They were great live on their summer tour as well. Urban Blight was another band that put out an OK record a while back, then really killed it on this LP. Sacred Shock had a great 7" last year, and followed it up with an equally great LP. I heard they broke up, which I hope is false. Paintbox released a ridiculous LP this year after not releasing anything since the Cry Of The Sheep 7" in 2004(?). It's pretty wild, but I'm into it.

Best demos of 2009
1. Duress
2. Omegas
3. Sick Fix
4. Nomos
5. Outlast

After getting the Duress demo from a friend at the end of last year, then losing it and having to get another I was in love. It's fast, angry and full of rage. I can't wait to see them live and get their 7", which will no doubt be making an appearance in the best of 2010 list. Omegas from Canada released a great demo (which got repressed as a 7"), which really has the 80's NJ Shore-core sound to it. Possibly due to a former NJ resident in the band; another band I'm expecting big things from next year. Sick Fix finally released a new recording as a demo before they went on tour this summer. I think it really captures where they're at now, as that 7" came out almost 2 years ago. When I first got the Nomos demo, I liked it, but I grew to like it more the more I listened to it. One of the best local (tri-state) bands. This was also re-presssed as a 7" on Deranged this year. Outlast is my favorite current NJ band, which bring be back to when I was 17, and the youth crew thing was big. It's cool to see a band like this now, where by 2000 the youth crew revival grew tiresome. This was also re-pressed as a 7" recently. I should also mention that all of these demos I own on cassette, which I love to see.

Honorable Mentions:
No Tolerance- their demo came out last year, and was awesome, then got pressed to vinyl this year. I felt weird listing it as a top 7", but it really was worthy of the nomination.
Free Spirit- their demo also came out last year, but was probably the best Straight Ahead worship I've heard in a long time. All 4 songs on the demo clocked in just over 2 minutes. They're doing a 7" on Lockin Out in '10, which will be the first Lockin Out release I've ever looked forward to.
Punx Don't Drink comp- I was really glad to be a part of this compilation of sXe bands who all played faster/early 80's inspired hardcore. The record release show was some of the most fun I've had at a show in a while. Not just because I got to sing "Straight Edge Revenge" with Sick Fix.

Reissues:
MK-Ultra (I didn't buy this since I have most of these records already, but it's good to see the band get their due)
The Insults (great forgotten mid-west HC)
Death (unreleased amazing LP by this mid 70's proto punk group)
Groinoids (finally had the rest of their tracks from the Boston, Not L.A. session released to vinyl)
Mouthpiece (one of the few 90's style HC bands I like found a permanent home @ REV)
Citizens Arrest (Colossus 2xLP which has the 7" and comp tracks/demo. Even thought it was already reissued like 8 years ago, this is essential shit that should never go out of print)

Predictions for 2010:
-Looks like the bands ripping off early 80's hardcore "trend" is done. I love early 80's HC obviously, but I've seen way too many third rate thrash bands cover Black Flag to be really too excited about a lot bands. Seems like the new thing coming is to do an 80's style HC band, but throw in weird parts ala the Youth Attack bands (which I mostly hate).
-Seems like there's another resurgence of youth crew/ Straight Edge bands. The last big boom was around 1997, when I was first getting into hardcore. Maybe it's a reaction to the party thrash/ Municipal Waste type scene that's growing strong. Personally I'd take sing a longs and mosh parts over neon shirts and boogie boards in the pit.
-The pop-punk revival will be much bigger. I seems like more and more of my HC peers have jumped ship for the pop-punk/alternative thing. No thanks, I did that in the 90's. I'm too old and bitter for pop music.
-More pointless reunions
-Crewneck Sweatshirts > Hooded Sweatshirts

Record Review- early winter

Hey kids, this is going to be the last reviews post before the epic best of 2009 post. It's a quick one, but I wanted to clear the slate before the last post of the year. I should mention that I reviewed the new Nitad 7" on No Way a few months ago, and commented on the cover art looking like a black metal cover. Luckily the regular pressing has different cover art, which I really really like. It doesn't look like a typical HC cover, and is full cover and I'm real into it.

7"s:

Government Warning- Executed
Recorded at the same time as Paranoid Mess, this 7" seems kind of like a few throw-away songs and a Battalion of Saints cover. "Executed" starts out slow, then gets fast, then goes back to slow, then speeds up right before the end with nothing all that interesting in between. It's not bad, but definitely not in the same league as their previous releases.


Deathrats- s/t
Deathrats are an awesome new band from DC who have a somewhat 90's vibe to them. Musically it reminds me somewhat of Severed head of State mixed with Los Crudos, and all of the covers are screen printed. The vocals remind me more like current bands Punch and Sick Fix, since they're more screamed than sung (and female). The music is very powerful d-beat influenced hardcore. It's a real great record, and I hope to hear from more from these guys and girls soon. I should also mention that it doesn't say Deathrats on the cover anywhere, so hopefully it doesn't get passed over because of that, because it's really worth your time.


Foreign Objects- s/t
Foreign Objects are a relatively new band from Boston with members from Conversions, Ampere, Positive Reinforcement, Libyans and I'm sure others. Their sound is a sort of mid-paced late 70's punk in a Dangerhouse kinda way (X comes to mind). The vocals alter between singing and shouting, which keep things flowing nicely. Pretty cool.

12"s:

Government Warning- Paranoid Mess
For my money, Government Warning's "No Moderation" LP was one of the best HC LPs of the past 10 years, and set the bar extremely high for a follow up. The recording quality is a lot more blown out, lo-fi then their previous efforts. There's some raging fast songs, and some solid mid-paced songs. I think some of the songs lack the hooks that "No Moderaton" had, but it's still worthy of a few spins.


Wasted Time- Futility
After seeing Wasted Time at No Way Fest 2 as a 5 piece, I had high hopes for this record. The music is a lot heavier/fuller sounding. Kinda brings to mind "Feel the Darkness" era Poison Idea. I would say the songs aren't as fast as their previous releases, but still good. I could see this band going into a more Motorhead style in the future.


Pollution- Nasty.DNA
Pollution are a band from NYC that I've had the pleasure of seeing multiple times, and was blown away every time. It's almost impossible to describe their sound, which is a good thing. At times sounding like From Ashes Rise then like the Melvins. There's also some stoner and death metal influence int here as well. All I know is that it's loud as hell, it doesn't sound like anything you've ever heard before, and that it fucking rules. This is a vinyl pressing of a cassette release the band self-released. Expect big things from these guys if they ever escape from NY.


Social Circkle- City Shock
After 2 very short 7"s, a proper LP by Boston's Social Circkle is finally out. This release's line-up has yet another change, making the band 1/2 of Blank Stare (RIP). If you've never heard SC's other records, they play a pretty mid paced style of early 80's/late 70's punk. This record sounds pretty similar to their last record. They re-recorded "Drunk Cop" from their demo, though I think it lacks some of the punch of their demo. Pretty good, but I think I was expecting a little something faster.

Fall 09 record reviews

What we have here is a chunk of records I got at the end of summer/ early fall. I used to do a lot more reviews posts, but my budget for records has been a little tighter lately. That combined with maybe not as many good recent releases, and not as many good touring bands playing in Jersey. The next reviews post will be close to the end of the year, before the annual Best Of 2009 post.

7"s:

Dark Ages- Vicious Lie E.P.
Whatever you're listening to, turn it off and go buy this record. If you're a fan of the No Way/ Grave Mistake/ Sorry State type of releases, this will blow you away. I was impressed by Dark ages demo 7", as well as seeing them live twice last summer. I really get an early Articles of Faith vibe from these songs, but filtered through the speed of the early 80's DC HC bands. It's got a slight melodic tint, but it's fast as shit. Seriously, I couldn't recommend any 7" I've gotten recently any higher.


V/A- The South Will Rise Again
Cowabunga brings you a compilation focusing on HC bands from the southern part of this great nation. My main gripe is that the back cover just lists the bands, but isn't in the right order. The insert is also inconsistent in terms of each band's art/layout. The standouts are Logic Problem, Socialcide and Cult Ritual bringing just what you'd already expect from those bands. Some new bands I found through this were High Life (guess I wrote them off as a party thrash band) and HRT (never heard of em, but they rip). It's really cool that a label from CA would highlight a scene so far away, so you know they're not playing favorites.


Video Disease- s/t
I liked Video Disease's demo, but I think they really improved vastly on this record. The recording quality is still really blown out, and the music is raw, ugly and fast hardcore. Cool layout w/ the info being on an obi strip. I just went to the band's Myspace page, and it seems they're breaking up; I still need their 2nd 7".


Dirty BS- Line of Fucking Fire
I really liked Dirty BS' first 7", so when I saw this in a distro I was surprised since I assumed the band broke up. Apparently this 7" is limited to only 300 and contained out takes from the 7" recording session. I hate to say it, but I'm not that impressed. The songs lack the same fury that the 7" had. It's out of print though, so my opinion doesn't matter since you can't get it anyway.


Migraine- s/t
Kinda similar to Ecoli, this CA band blasts out a ripper of a 7". There's some distorted vocals, (hell distorted everything) and some blazing fast parts. There's an overall heaviness to it, kinda similar to the Slices 7"s, but a lot more straight forward. This record is really good, give it a shot. They have a new record on deck which will be on Cowabunga.


Force Fed- 5-Song EP
Painkiller brings you the debut EP from PA's Force Fed. While it's not as hard hitting as PK's usual releases, it's similar to fellow PA band Let Down's earlier material. They play no frills hard and fast straight edge hardcore. It's got an early 80's meets modern fast HC sound. Pretty good, check it out.


Ecoli- Judas Cradle
Ecoli had a 7" that came out last year that totally came from nowhere and totally ripped. Their sound was similar to faster early 80's bands like Neon Christ, Koro and the Neos. After the first listen I wasn't as into it, but giving it another shot I really started to appreciate it. On this record there's a slight lineup change, but they don't lose any of the ferocity. At times the songs are more structured, at other times they're more frantic and loose. I'd maybe compare it to Die Kreuzen, but either way you need this in your life.


Libyans- Crash Course
This was apparently recorded at the same time as their LP, but is structured more like the Welcome to the Neighborhood 7". There's a longer song ("Crash Course") on the A side, and a shorter song ("Erased") on the B side. Crash Course is certainly not as good as Welcome to the Neighborhood, but it's still catchy. I would almost say Erased is the better song, since it's a bit more punchy. A good and short 7", but I want more fast songs.


Death Crisis- s/t
Out of the ashes of Life Crisis come Death Crisis, with 3/4 of the final lineup. They continue along the same lines with their Dr. Know sounding hc/punk with metal leads and solos. It's very early 80's California sounding, but a bit more ballsy. There's a few songs with Spanish lyrics, but my basic Spanish comprehension was able to get what they were talking about. The cover art is a bad Photoshop collage, which looks like a bad black metal cover, but don't let it deter you.


the Insults- Thrasher Go Home
Finally, a legit reissue of the classic Detroit band's 7" from the 80's. I hadn't listened to this in a while and forgot how good this 7" was. It's similar to Verbal Abuse in that it's fast HC/punk with metal tinges to it. Similar to their Michigan brothers in the State, this is some essential authentic early 80's HC. Good job Punks Before Profits for resurrecting this beast.


No Tolerance- Boston Straight Edge
I had downloaded No Tolerances demo a few months ago, and was psyched to finally get a real copy pressed to vinyl. From the same masterminds behind Mind Eraser, DFJ and CC this time bring you a late 80's straight edge sound. I hear a heavy Brotherhood influence, as I'm sure that's where they got their name from. I guess this started as a side project, but now they have a full band assembled and will be doing a 7" on Youngblood soon. The somewhat militant sXe lyrics will turn off some, but I think this is real good!


Judgement- Just Be...
This was repressed to celebrate Judgement getting back together to play Chaos in Tejas fest. I was lucky to find this in a distro, but I know they sold out fast. This was Judgement's last (and some might say worst) release, which only had a CD release previously. I would say it's not as strong as their earlier material, but seriously it's impossible to top that stuff. Follows the same Judgement formula of Burning Spirits styled HC with a heavier focus on guitars. It's fucking great, go find it.


Burial- Hungry Wolves
I had a couple of Burial's other releases, but this one had eluded me for a while. It's not new, but this 4 song 7" is perfect. This German band can emulate the Burning Spirits Japanese hardcore style of the greats like no other. Imagine Tragedy w/o the boring cello or piano interludes. This rips, and I just found out they have a new 12" out... gotta find that!


Obliteration- This Is Tomorrow
I liked Obliteration's first 7", and was glad they were doing another so soon. Obliteration is basically the singer of Knife Fight, but with Mind Eraser as his backup band. They play a distorted crust/d-beat influenced hardcore similar to Crucifix or Anti-Cimex. It lacks some of the cliches of the average crusty band, but that's a good thing. I kinda liked the first record better, but this is good too.


Brain Killer- s/t
Boston's Brain killer play with the distorted fury of Japanese bands like Disclose and Framtid, but the vocals remind me a lot of Deathreat. There's a lot of feedback throughout this record, which ads to its all over raw sound. I would imagine this band plays loud as hell live. This is fucking great!


Brain Killer- s/t (demo)
This is a re-pressing of Brain Killer's demo on vinyl, which I had downloaded a while back and loved. Musically it's very similar to the 7", but as you could imagine a bit more raw. Get this as well as the s/t 7" and you won't be disappointed.


Middle Class- Out Of Vogue
Released in 1978, some might say this was the first hardcore record, and I would agree. This was way faster than everything else from that time. Songs like "Out of Vogue" (which was featured in American Hardcore) and "Insurgence" laid the groundwork for American HC, while being influenced by UK punk. Frontier reissued this at the end of last year, and it's about damn time. Mine came on blue vinyl too, sweet!

12"s:

Urban Blight- More Reality
Back in 2004 Urban Blight released a pretty good 3 song 7", 5 years later they release this amazing 12" EP. Their sound has matured a lot in that time, and I think this 12" is a huge step. The recording is real blown out, which totally works, and gives it that authentic 80's HC sound. The music is very early 80's NYHC influenced, think early AF, early Warzone, etc... Real good, and a huge step up from their previous releases. The cover art is kinda weird, I guess they wanted it to look like a DJ's single, which I don't think works.


Death- For the Whole World to See
You may have read the stories about this band online, but basically this is a relatively forgotten band from the 70's that is just now seeing a proper release. Not to be confused with the metal band of the same name, Death were 3 African American brothers who were playing punk in a style of the Stooges, the Buzzcocks or the MC5. This LP is really good, and well recorded for something over 30 years old. Some of the songs are fast, almost early Bad Brains sounding. "Politicians In My Eyes" and "Freakin Out" are like unheard classics. Seriously, this is a great record, with some great authentic 70's looking cover art to make a great overall package.


Paintbox- Trip Trance & Travelling
So this album was years in the making, and after listening to the whole thing I can see why. Judging by the psychedelic cover art, I knew it was gonna be kinda weird. There's their signature rock n roll meets burning spirits style, mixed with some more psych influence and a good amount of trumpets. There's a lot of great guitar parts by Chelsea (RIP), and some female vocals mixed throughout. They really went all out on this one, and while it may seem weird to some, but the only word I can use to describe this is EPIC. Paintbox really likes to straddle the line between traditional punk/HC sounds, and something a bit more experimental. If you're already a fan, you're not gonna be let down, but may be a bit much for a first time listener.


Mouthpiece- Can't Kill What's Inside
In honor of Edge Day recently I got a real craving to listen to some Mouthpiece, but had foolishly sold all of their records when I was getting rid of all my youth crew type stuff. Luckily Rev has re-pressed their discography on vinyl, and I was able to rectify my mistake. Mouthpiece existed in a time after the youth crew style bands, but before the heavy 90's HC sound really took shape. They sound more like bands like Inside Out and Burn, but have a bit of a harder edge like Judge. At the time they were considered a fast band, but by today's standards not so much. It seems like there's a good deal of hype around bands from the early 90's scene, and a lot of them reuniting for the Burning Fight show this summer. With that, it's nice to see Mouthpiece get some recognition. Personally, I kinda have to be in the mood for this style of HC, and I could see why I sold off my Mouthpiece records originally (not to say I don't regret it). I saw them twice in 2001 @ their reunion shows, and they were great. NEW JERSEY STRAIGHT EDGE!

hardcore/punk toys?!

Collecting vinyl rules. Whether that vinyl is playable or shaped into a cool toy is your choice. What some of my usual blog readers may not know is that a lot of punkers are involved in the toy world. I did a post a while back about the Gorilla Biscuits toy, but did you know that CIV did a Dunny design in their tattoo series?
Suicidal Tendencies had a Be@rbrick design as a pattern. I was lucky enough to score one of these on the first try. It's made to look like a blue bandanna, and is a part of the pattern series. Medicom recently released a larger "400%" version of this design. They've also done Sex Pistols themed Be@rbrick in the past.
Kidrobot recently did series of pieces depicting their mascot as a punk rocker called Kidpunk. There were 3 different versions- 1977 (Sex Pistols), 1980 (Dead Kennedys), 1984 (Black Flag). I of course got the Black Flag looking one. Each one came with a record and cover parodying the band's classic album that was released in that particular year. I thought it was pretty clever, and shows that someone working there knew something about the actual music, and not just the look.
Everybody knows Pushead for doing tons of awesome album covers, but he's become popular in the toy scene as well. His toys are kinda hard to come by, so I still don't have any in my collection yet. Hopefully soon... He recently did a signing at the NY Comic Con with Secret Base out of Japan, that I heard was packed. Secret Base also has produced toys for Napalm Death and Balzac. Mike Sutfin who you may know from bands like Charles Bronson and Killers also had customs for sale at NYCC. He has his own toy coming soon from Reckless Toys, which is reminiscent of the old Corrosion of Conformity logo. Amos Toys recently released a character called Martin X, which has X's on his hands and makes references to the character being Straight Edge.
Also, make sure to check out a great documentary DVD called Toypunks, focuses on the rise of designer toys, and the parallels to punk culture. There's even a song by Deep Sleep used in the movie.
There's even a huge DIY movement within the designer toy scene. People hand mold and cast their own toys out of resin and sell it themselves. A lot of toy companies sell blank toys, which encourage customization. So you see, the hardcore/punk scene stretches far into nerd culture than most people would like to admit.


*this is a post I was working on back in February/March, and never finished until now.

Record Reviews (summer edition)

It's summer, which means there's a lot more bands touring. That also means there's a lot of records you should be buying to support these bands. Go see: Coke Bust/ Sick Fix, Shitty Limits/ Logic Problem, I Hate This/ Backslider, Zhenia Golov/ Plague Bearers, Rip It Up/ Stressed Out, Punch, and Guilty Faces who are all still on tour through August.

7"s:

Waste Management- Get Your Mind Right E.P.
This came out a while back, but I wish someone had clued me in on this band earlier, holy shit. The vocals are almost a dead ringer for Springa (SSD), and the music has a real early 80's Boston feel to it. This has a perfect balance of raging fast parts, and slow mosh parts. Some of the lyrics seem to be straight edge oriented, but the band isn't very up front about it. Great 7", hopefully they have more in the works.


Boiling Over- Trash City
I had only known Boiling Over from the Punx Don't Drink comp, but much like Cold Shoulder their own EP is way better. "Humanity is Fucked" kicks off this beast, and sets the tone of a bleak world view for the rest of the record. My favorite song is "These Colors Don't Crust" which has a pretty memorable chorus of "We have been wronged, we have been lied to." I love bands like this that are sXe, but don't use it as a marketing ploy from some watered down cartoon version of hardcore. This straight up, no BS early 80's inspired HC. The record also comes w/ an mp3 download, which is always convenient.


I Hate This- s/t
Released just in time for their US tour, IHT drops their first solo 7". After a lineup change (one of those changes happened to be the primary song writer), they don't let up on the fastcore fury. The music is more in a Charles Bronson direction, taking old style HC structure and speeding them up. Pick a copy up from the band as it hasn't made its way into distros yet.


The Shitty Limits- Here Are the Limits
The Shitty Limits are a band from the UK, who are currently on tour in the US. Their sound is some sort of mix of garage rock and late 70's punk. I could see them fitting in well on a show with Jay Reatard or one with Regulations. "Here Are The Limits" opens up the record with a bullhorn scream, which is a pretty good introduction to the record and the band itself. The songs on here are a real bouncy mid pace. The guitar tone is undistorted, and matches perfectly with their style.


The Shitty Limits- Espionage
This is basically a single for the song "Espionage," backed with 2 faster songs. The music is almost 60's British rock influenced, which I guess makes some sense since they're from the UK. The B side offers 2 more tracks with a slightly different sound, "We Had a Gang" is probably the better of the 2. This record is ok, but I prefer the "Here Are the Limits" E.P.


No Man's Slave- Siege Mentality
I saw these guys in NJ, and picked up this there. For a band named after an Infest LP, I thought I knew what to expect. I got a real Ruination feel from them, which was confirmed by the Left For Dead cover at the end of the record. They somehow cram 14 songs on this record without feeling like they just threw a bunch of crap together. The music is fast as hell, but with a moshy heaviness to it.


Nitad- Ge Oss Mer
This is a reissue of the band's 2nd 7", which I believe was limited originally. Honestly the artwork was what really attracted me to this record, it's like 60's poster art. The music is early 80's upbeat punk sounding, but sung is Swedish. Sounds pretty similar to fellow Swedes Masshysteri or Regulations, but with a lot more punch to it.


Nitad- s/t
Despite the cover art on my version looking like a Bathory 7" (I have the tour pressing, so the cover may be different when it's released for real), this is a definite punk record. This record doesn't deviate too far from the sound on their previous efforts. It does seem a lot tighter and angrier (the lyrics are still in Swedish, so i have no idea). Definitely pick this up once it's properly released.


Drag the River- ...Has A Way With Women
I got this because I heard it was Chad Price's (of ALL fame) new band. The songs seem to have been recorded a while back, and are more demo quality. I would say there's a real country vibe to these. It's pretty cool, but I doubt I'll play this more than a few times.


Zhenia Golov/ Botox Party
NJ's Zhenia Golov bring us 2 new songs of politically influenced crusty thrash. Botox Party play more folky pop-punk, that almost Propaghandi sounding. It's a pretty strange balance for the 2 band to do a split, but somehow it works as both bands have played together often before. I should note that there is a Botox Party song at the end of the ZG side. I'm not sure why they did this (as well as having blank labels), but I know I'm guilty of only listening to one particular side of a split record.


Mirrors and Wires- Colorized Audio Transmission
This is not surf punk, but it is punks playing surf (mixed with a little bit of psychedelic rock). M&W are an all instrumental group w/ members of some local HC/Punk bands. The A side offers 3 short musical bursts, while the B side has one long more psychedelic song. I definitely enjoyed the A side way more personally. It's definitely something different, and makes for some feel good background music.


Ugly Law- s/t
I love the recent rise of old dudes playing in hardcore bands, and one of these dudes was in Unseen Force. My band did a weekend tour w/ this dudes back in May, and I got this then. They play a mid/late 80's crossover hardcore sound. Kinda reminds me of Animosity era COC at times. They seem to take similar influences to COC, blending southern rock with faster hardcore sounds. This was self-released, and apparently they have another record recorded.

12"s:

Coke Bust- Lines in the Sand
After an good demo and a really good 7", Coke Bust come out with this amazing LP. I seriously think this blows everything they did previously out of the water. "Countdown to Death" is my favorite song (also their longest), and has a great slow mosh which reminds me of SSD. "Leave Me Behind" also has a great 2 second hard mosh at the end of it. I think if you wrote off Coke Bust in the past, this will change your mind. The song writing and lyrics have matured into on amazing HC record. Also, GO SEE COKE BUST ON TOUR!


Punch- s/t
I had heard great things about Punch since their last tour, so I decided to check em out at their Philly show. Boy was I impressed. The music is somewhere along the lines of Scholastic Death type thrash, mixed with some youth crew influenced mosh breakdowns. The mosh buildup in "Ol' Factory" rules. They manage to pack 16 songs into 20 minutes of hardcore fury. Not to make it a selling point, but Punch are a female fronted hardcore band. That doesn't let up any of the fury here, as she can belt it out with the best of em. Definitely try to catch them on tour!


Bad Antics- Tour LP
I wasn't a huge fan of Bad Antics' last record, but picked this up after seeing them in NJ. It's more a step back to the California punk influence that the first 7" had. The songs are kind of mid paced and slower (and therefore longer) than their older stuff. It kinda reminds me of those later Adolescents and DI albums that nobody really listens to. Honestly I'm more impressed with the cover art, which is stenciled and spray painted, so each one is different.

CDs:

Just Die!- Garages and Basements
Musically NC's Just Die! seem to take the Kid Dynamite approach, but faster... and I mean WAY faster. The music has some melodic parts, but the vocals are harsh and screamed. Saw this band on a whim in NJ a few weeks ago and was very impressed, they were super nice dudes too. This is the CD version of a 7" that wasn't ready in time for tour.

demos:
Sick Fix- Nothing Else Mattered No one Else Mattered (tape or CDr)
Sick Fix decided to record a new demo before their tour w/ Coke Bust this summer, and it's about damn time. I thought their 7" was good, but didn't really do any justice to how they sound live. Michelle's vocals have gotten a lot more brutal sounding since then as well. Here you get 4 new song and a re-recording of "One Third" (from the 7"/demo) with a way slower breakdown (in a good way). "Liberty Lost" has the new intro, which they've been playing live for the past year, and boy is it heavy. My favorite song on here is "Boudica." Hopefully this is a demo for a new record in the works, whether it be an EP or LP I'm sure it will be a monster.

Backslider (tape)
The idea of a 2 person fastcore band sounds about as appealing to me as a turd sandwich, however somehow this defies my expectations. There's a good balance of grindy parts, power violence style breakdowns, and of course short songs. The way the songs are mixed, it's almost like one giant song with stops. I feel like for a 2 person band things should be a lot tighter, but it's just a demo so I'll cut em some slack. The new stuff on their website has a more Lack of Interest sound, and blows this stuff away. This band also comprises 1/2 of I Hate This, and are on tour w/ them now.

Outlast (tape)
Outlast are a new youth crew sXe hardcore band from NJ. If you read this blog, you know I have a real soft spot for this type of stuff. It reminds me of the late 90's sXe revival bands like In My Eyes and Better Than A Thousand (there's even some Cappo style growls). The recording quality is really clean for a demo, and apparently it will be re-pressed on vinyl soon. Bands like this were a dime a dozen like 10 years ago, but now I miss this type of stuff. The lyrics cover your typical posi topics such as change, unity, helping each other out, and of course being straight edge. Awesome!

Teenage Whore-Moans- Moan All Nite Long (pro-tape)
Teenage Whore Moans play some low-fi garage influenced pop-punk. The low quality of the recording kind of ruins it for me, and maybe a better studio recording would have been a little easier on the ears. I guess with "garage" styled stuff you can get away with that. Otherwise it's some poppy songs about girls ...not my thing.

Classic Comps vol. 4- Flex Your Head

This is kind of a no-brainer, I always loved the DC hardcore scene. After doing the NYHC comp last time, I felt I dropped the ball by not doing Flex Your Head sooner. I like how each band has multiple songs each. Dischord's been re-releasing a lot of their records on colored vinyl with download codes lately. Not that they were out of print, but some got remastered, plus it's cool to see these releases on color. Flex Your Head came on 4 different covers, the one displayed is the one I own, but I obviously prefer the XXX cover. I would also recommend tracking down the Dischord 1981: a Year in Seven Inches LP or CD, as it has the proper releases of some of the more prominent bands on here.

1. Teen Idles - I Drink Milk
2. Teen Idles - Commie Song
3. Teen Idles - No Fun
The Teen Idles were basically the reason Dischord Records started, which was to release their first 7". "I Drink Milk" is a pretty juvenile, song, but kinda catchy in its monotone nature. "Commie Song" has a little more punch, but not as catchy. "No Fun" in a pretty good decent Stooges cover. These songs overall are good but not great, however they laid the groundwork for what would be a thriving hardcore scene.

4. Untouchables - Rat Patrol
5. Untouchables - Nic Fit
6. Untouchables - I Hate You
The Untouchables were fronted by Ian MacKaye's younger brother Alec, and all the members went on to do notable bands later on. I really like the Untouchables, but unfortunately this is all that's available by them. I hear rumors that a 7" was recorded but never released... "Rat Patrol" kicks it in with a pretty good hook in the chorus and the singer's raspy voice. Some people may recognize "Nic Fit" from Sonic Youth's shitty cover. This song's pretty bare bones start and stop hardcore, not much to it, but what else would you want? "I Hate You" is a little more mid-paced, but has a chorus that's all sing a long.

7. State Of Alert - I Hate The Kids
8. State Of Alert - Disease
9. State Of Alert - Stepping Stone Party
SOA's one of my favorites from this era, and probably most notable for being Henry Rollins' first band. "I Hate The Kids" if the best song out of these 3. Pretty good riff, and sing a long chorus, just fast and simple. "Disease" is a short blast, but not the best. Apparently it was a thing in DC to cover "Stepping Stone." Minor Threat, SOA, the Untouchables and Government Issue have all recorded versions. The SOA version's a little more chaotic, and it doesn't seem like they knew the words and just made them up.

10. Minor Threat - Stand Up
11. Minor Threat - 12XU
Minor Threat were probably one of the more important early hardcore punk bands. They had the speed of hardcore and actually had somethign intelligent to sing about. "Stand Up" is sort of a call to arms type song, and fits along with the rest of their classic discography. "12XU" is a Wire cover, which rules. I kinda feel like Minor Threat gets written off being a band that a lot of people get into early, but over 10 years later they sound just as good to me.

12. Government Issue - Hey, Ronnie
13. Government Issue - Lie, Cheat, & Steal
Government Issue was always a band that I liked but never loved. Musically similar to Minor Threat, but maybe a little slower. Hey Ronnie" is obviously directed at the then president, and has a great sing along intro. "Lie, Cheat, & Steal" is about the same pace as the previous track, and has a catchy chorus. GI released a hell of a lot more records than any of these other DC bands, most of them were real good aside from a few later releases

14. Youth Brigade - Moral Majority
15. Youth Brigade - Waste Of Time
16. Youth Brigade - Last Word
Youth Brigade was a great band, and this is way better than the band of the same name from CA. They featured the former singer of Teen Idles, and some others who went on to bigger things. "Moral Majority" is just a straight up classic hardcore song. "Waste Of Time" is pretty good, but the weaker of the 3 songs. "Last Word" is a little slower, but is pretty anthemic in a good way.

17. Red C - Jimi 45
18. Red C - Pressure's On
19. Red C - 6 O' Clock News
20. Red C - Assassin
Red C is a band that basically had a demo and these tracks. "Jimi 45" is a skipper, pretty lame instrumental. "Pressure's On" is one you'll want to get to as soon as possible. You may recognize it from being covered by Citizens Arrest (on their demo) and more recently by Ceremony. Great song! "6 O' Clock News" has a real lame verse, but the chorus part is kinda thrashy and way better- probably another skipper though. "Assassin" is a better/shorter song, but not nearly as good as "Pressure's On."

21. Void - Dehumanized
22. Void - Authority
23. Void - My Rules
Void is a band that kind of brought somethign a little different to the table. They bordered on chaos, but were able to keep it together just long enough to get the song done. The guitar work is insanely good, but retains the simplicity of punk. All of these songs are fucking killer! "My Rules" was later re-recorded for their split LP w/ the Faith

24. Iron Cross - Wargames
25. Iron Cross - New Breed
26. Iron Cross - Live For Now
Iron Cross has the distinction of being one of the first American bands to be more Oi inspired. The recording quality is a little weird, where the vocals are real low in the mix. All 3 songs are about the same mid tempo pacing with nothing really standing out.

27. Artificial Peace - Artificial Peace
28. Artificial Peace - Outside Looking In
29. Artificial Peace - Wasteland
Artificial Peace I always felt was way under appreciated, aside from these 3 songs they had a discography LP on Lost and Found back in the 90's that's killer. "Artificial Peace" has a weird jam band solo in the middle, and starts out weird but rips somewhere in the middle. "Outside Looking In" is a pretty great song, and probably one of the best examples of start/stop hardcore song writing. "Wasteland" is pretty fast at the start, but the chorus is more slow in a good way.

30. Deadline - Stolen Youth
31. Deadline - Hear The Cry
32. Deadline - Aftermath
Deadline is another band that didn't do much aside from a killer demo, which Dischord recently repressed on CD. Hey Dischord, do a vinyl version and I'll buy it! "Stolen Youth" is a great slow song. "Hear The Cry" is a great song, and way faster to the typical DC style of this LP. "Aftermath" closes out the comp on a kind of slow tempo, it gets a little faster towards the end, but not the best way to end the record. Deadline's other stuff is better I think.

Classic Comps vol. 3- New York City Hardcore: The Way It Is

When I was first getting into hardcore, I was big into the early Revelation Records bands. This was of course a time before high speed modems, and the Rev back catalog was still mostly in print and easy to get. Also around that time (1997) was the resurgence in youth crew styled hardcore. There's actually a lot of diversity among these bands despite all being from NYC, there's a lot of different sounds represented. This record is still in print through RevHQ, and I highly recommend it.
A while REV back did "final" pressings of a lot of their classic old records in a move to phase out vinyl. Bad move guys, especially since you haven't released a good record since the first Nerve Agents LP.

1. Bold - Wise Up
I always thought Bold was a lame Youth of Today rip off, though the Crippled Youth 7" has its youthful sprit. This song is ok, probably one of their better songs, but the playing isn't very tight and the drumming is real boring. Bold recently got back together, but why?

2. Nausea - Fallout Of Our Being
This is definitely the most out of place song on this comp, but Nausea fits in the same time frame of all these bands, but I would assume didn't share many shows. I was never a huge Nausea fan either, as they seemed to take more from Crass than Discharge in their crusty hardcore sound. This song is pretty good though, and like I said it's real different from the other bands.

3. Warzone - As One
4. Warzone - Escape From Your Society
Oh man, classic Warzone stuff here. I always loved "Don't Forget the Struggle...," and these tracks were recorded right before that LP I assume. The version of "As One" on here is actually better than the LP version in my opinion. "Escape from Your Society" has a classic goofy intro that I wish bands still did. Nothing can top the goofy into to "intro/Bust" though. Both songs are top shelf Warzone at their peak.

5. Gorilla Biscuits - Better Than You
6. Gorilla Biscuits - Forgotten
I would be lying if I said Gorilla Biscuits didn't have a huge impact on me, I'd also be lying if I said I still thought they were a great band. They were by far the most melodic band in that scene, but still retained a bit of the NYHC sound. "Better than You" is a pretty terrible song. I remember older versions of this on GB demo bootlegs, and it sucked then too. "Forgotten" was I guess a new song at this time, and would later be better recorded for the "Start Today" LP. I'd still prefer anything off the first 7"

7. Trip 6 - Back With A Vengeance
Shit, I literally know nothing about Trip 6, but this song fucking rips. The guitar tone is raw as shit, and the chorus is simple and catchy. In re-listening to this comp to write this, I was re-blown away. Fuck, great song.

8. Breakdown - Sick People
I'll be honest and say I really don't like Breakdown that much, but this song is fucking great. I remember seeing a band cover this last year on tour, and it was definitely the highlight of that show. This is just a fucking angry punch holes in the walls kinda song.

9. Youth Of Today - Together
10. Youth Of Today - Understand
Youth of Today's another band that was real important to me, however these songs are real awful. The bass is real prominent in the mix, and the tone is annoying. "Understand" would later be re-recorded way better on the classic "We're Not In This Alone" LP. These songs just aren't nearly as tight as they need to be, good band regardless.

11. Sick Of It All - Politics
12. Sick Of It All - Pete's Sake
I love Sick of It All's first 7", but not really anything after that. Luckily these 2 songs are from around that same time. "Pete's Sake" was re-recorded for that 7" but "Politics" is exclusive to this. Like Warzone, SOIA peaked early but the songs on here are a great representation of the band at their peak.

13. Krakdown - Ignorance
Krakdown's not a band I'm that familiar with either, and this song's ok. The vocal pacing is a little awkward and choppy, but it's got a decent mosh part. I don't know if this was an earlier song, but if the playing was tighter, I'd probably like it more.

14. Side By Side - Dead Serious
15. Side By Side - Time Is Now
Wasn't a big Side By Side fan, but I loved their later band Alone in a Crowd. "Dead Serious" is the better of the 2 songs here. Decent balance of catchy sing along parts, mosh and fast parts. "Time is Now" starts out kinda cool, then ends on a slower pace and uses way too much whammy bar dive bombs.

16. Youth Defense League - Blue Pride
Not a big fan of YDL since I'm not a working class skinhead, but as far as those types of bands go. Mid paced British inspired punk with a definite sing along for the chorus. I'm not gonna get into my opinions on the whole "working class skin" thing, but this song's pretty mediocre.

17. Supertouch - Searchin' For The Light
I always thought this song was cool, despite being named after a Bad Brains song, and not sounding much like them. The song's kinda slow, but it's interesting enough to pull it off well. There's more parts to the structure of this song than most hardcore songs, and even has a sing-a-long chorus. It's a real good way to end the comp since it's the longest and slowest song on here. I remember ordering stuff from REV a long time ago and getting a tape of Supertouch's LP for free in my box, and thinking it sucked big time though.

Record Reviews (spring edition)

What better to do when you're infected with swine flu and quarantined from society than listen to some records. I'm really excited about the amount of cassette demos this round. I'm hoping more bands follow the current insurgence of bands uploading mp3s online and selling tapes not CDrs. I suppose I should note that I play bass on the Poison Planet EP, but I had no part in writing/arranging those songs. I feel I have give an impartial review of the record despite that, if you disagree too bad. I don't get paid for this anyway...

7"s:

Poison Planet- Oblivious
After a pretty great demo, this 7" certainly doesn't let down. They continue in their politically charged hardcore punk style, but the recording quality really brings out the music much better. The music is somewhere between the Repos and Negative Approached, with some Dead Kennedys style guitar leads. The band approaches Straight Edge and veganism from a more political approach, and doesn't shove it down your throat. There's even explanations along with the lyrics in the cut and paste layout. Obviously if you're a fan of the ThirdXParty bands (Blank Stare, Coke Bust, Sick Fix, Black SS), this needs to be in your collection.


Satanic Threat- In To Hell
The idea behind this of a side project satanic Minor Threat rip off may not sound too appealing. Boy would you be wrong, it's not like they just changed some lyrics. The music is definitely Minor Threat influenced, but the vocals are total Pat Dubar (Uniform Choice/Unity) sounding. I mean it's obviously a little tongue in cheek, but sounds a lot better than 90% of the bands making half-assed attempts at sounding like early 80's style hardcore. The lyric aren't even really satanic, just more atheist in nature. The layout is pretty fancy with a tri fold die cut pocket, which unfortunately jacks up the price. This isn't some lame joke band like the Gayrilla Biscuits or Youth of Togay, this is actually real good.


One Foot In The Grave- s/t
Some pretty intelligent youth crew styled straight edge from these ex-Expired Youth Chicago boys. This is OFIG's demo pressed on a 7", so if you missed out on that (like me), here's your chance. It has a real Chain of Strength quality, but also calls back to bands like Ten Yard Fight. The bass tone on this is real burly sounding, and doesn't sound watered down. Definitely check this out if you've got a soft spot for youth crew style straight edge hardcore (like me).



The Ergs/ Teenage Bottlerocket
It's kinda tricky to review an album that only has 2 songs, both being covers. The Ergs cover a Devo track, and Teenage Bottlerocket cover a classic Green Day gem. I'll be honest and say I'm not familiar with that particular Devo song the Ergs are covering, but after listening to it I want to be. Teenage Bottle Rocket cover "Having a Blast" off Green Day's Dookie album. I'd be a liar if I didn't say that album didn't have an impact on my and my music taste. The cover is good, nothing too different. Overall unless you're a super fan of any of these bands or the songs being covered, it's not an essential record.


Slices- s/t (16OH)
I got to see Slices a few months back, and thought they were awesome. The music on side 1 is pretty mid paced punk, but distorted and heavy sounding. The music on side 2 is more akin to side 2 of My War. I suppose the guitar band bass tone is more similar sounding to "power violence" bands like Neanderthal, but the music is definitely more punk. Real different, and real good.


Quick Fix- 6 Track EP
Man, this European band sure does rip, unlike the band from America with the same name. It's like someone recorded the Abused using the same studio production of the Shitlickers. The music is definitely influenced by early 80's US HC, and I get a strong NYHC vibe. I just wish there was more, I hate 1 sided 7"s. Adult Crash is slowly living up to the same flawless reputation that Kick N Punch had.


No System- Dead Bands Tell No Tales
If you don't know the story, this is Al Quint's (ex-Suburban Voice, current MRR columnist) band from the late 80's. They're definitely influenced by the early 80's Boston sound, and a lot of the vocal patterns remind me of Choke (Negative FX, Last Rights, Slap Shot). The playing isn't very tight, but this was kind of a scab lineup and I don't think they ever intended more than a few people to hear this. It's ok, but not like some mind blowing hidden treasure. I like that there's a bio with lyrics in the liner notes, especially this is a more or less unheard of band. A lot of reissues just re-use old cover art and call it a day, but it's nice to see the effort here.

12"s:


Ripcord- Discography Part III
This collects their first demo, a radio studio set and Defiance of Power LP demos. Obviously I would only recommend this release for the more die hard Ripcord fan, but the quality of these songs are real good for demo/live recordings. Ripcord were a hardcore band from the UK in the late 80's. They played a style more influenced by the early 80's Boston sound, but faster. Despite the lame cover artwork, this record rips and I highly recommend the other discography LPs. Ripcord is better than Heresy, there I said it.


Limp Wrist- s/t
Despite being a sort of gimmick band, Limp Wrist had some pretty blazing riffs on their earlier releases. They seem to be back w/ a slightly changed lineup, and I gotta say this one sided LP isn't nearly as good as anything on that first 7" or LP. It's ok, but I'd still take Needles over this. Sorry.


Sacred Shock- You're Not With Us
I couldn't wait for this record to come out after loving their last 7" and demo. The recording on this is real raw in a good way, but could have maybe benefited on some more attention to mixing. There are powerful driving parts as well as almost melodic parts. I really regret not driving an hour to go see them on their recent tour now. This is really great, and I'd highly recommend checking it out.


Human Mess- Follow You Home
Human Mess' 7" I thought was cool, but nothing too great. This LP however is way better. The first thing that struck me about this was the guitar tone; it's an almost dead ringer for Bad Religion's "How Can Hell Be Any Worse?" LP. The band doesn't sound anything like BR, but that guitar tone rules. The vocals are more screamed and the music is real frantic


The Ergs!- That's It...Bye
In case you couldn't tell, this was the last songs the Ergs recorded. A 4 song 12" seems like a waste of vinyl, but I guess it was too long for a 7". The Ergs were one of the few local bands I really liked, but I kinda feel like they slowed down bit towards the end, and these are probably some of the slowest songs of theirs. Definitely in more Replacements/ Husker Du territory on these. Pretty good, but I'll still take Dork Rock Cord Rod any day.


Hul- Den Danske Ungdom
This is a repress of a record which featured members of some heavy hitters of the recent Danish scene (APA/ Young Wasterners/ No Hope For The Kids). The songs are catchy as hell despite not being in English. The singer's voice even cracks a few times, giving it that little extra youth rage. This is definitely a case of a lost classic being repressed not just to capitalize on some of the members' later bands.


Peligro Social- s/t
I was a little late on getting this I know, and now it seems the band is breaking up. Regardless, this record's pretty damn good. The lyrics are all in Spanish, and the music is mid paced punk. They remind me of the Subhumans from Canada (not the UK ones). The vocals are pretty raspy, but there's some melody there in the backup vocals. There's some real good guitar leads here too, which are more rock and roll influenced. Good stuff.

demos:
Duress (tape)
Fuck Yea! This is the kind of demo I like getting. It's raw and fast and pissed off sounding. It reminds me a lot of Threatener, but with maybe a little less blast beats. This is probably one of the best demos I've gotten in a while. It's fast, loud, raw and pissed off- the way hardcore should be played. They have a 7" recorded that should be coming out eventually.

Omegas (tape)
This new band from Canada has some heavy early 80's NJ shore influences. There's elements of The Worst, Chronic Sick and Fatal Rage which is a-ok by me. The guitar tone has a cool flanger sound to it, and the music is mid paced but by no means boring. The songs definitely have hooks to them, which I think a lot of bands neglect. "Gimme Oblivion" is probably my favorite on this tape. Really looking forward to more from this band.

Nomos (tape)
This new band w/ members of Dustheads sent me this awesome new demo. It sounds more like Sex/Vid, Cult Ritual or the Total Abuse LP, but way better. The cover art looks like some imagery that Fucked Up might have used, and I don't even think it says Nomos anywhere on the tape. There's some "art damaged" parts, but the faster hardcore parts fucking rip. This is real good, and well recorded too. I don't think they've played a show yet, but I know they're doing a few days with Cult Ritual soon.

No Minion (tape)
Featuring half of Coke Bust on different instruments, and playing an almost similar style. The music is definitely 80's influenced, but No Minion is devoid of blast beats. It's certainly not devoid of fast parts, mosh parts and anger. This demo rules, but with a little better recording quality and getting a little tighter, I'm sure their next release will be even better.

Cold Shoulder- Same Fucking Excuses (tape)
I really liked Cold Shoulder's 7", so I was excited to get their demo discography tape. This has 2 of their demos and some unused versions of other songs on one tape. Some of them were later re-recorded on the 7" as well. They definitely progressed far from the early demos, but it's cool to see how bands started out. Unfortunately I heard they just broke up...

No Excuse (pro-tape)
From the ashes of Socialcide come No Excuse! I think this is in a much better direction, and I'm getting more of a early DC scene. I'm fairly certain that they're named after an Artificial Peace song too. I'm getting a slight Tear It Up vibe from the intro, but the rest is much more early 80's inspired. Check it out if you're into all the great bands coming from the VA area.

The Guilt (pro-tape)
Another great new band from DC. They kinda remind me of Kid Dynamite, but without the emo parts. There's no woah-oh's, just some fast hardcore with a slight melodic edge. On a second listen I'm getting a slight Grimple vibe too. This is real good!

*Also, if you still have a chance to see Hjertestop on their US tour, please do yourself a favor and do it! They were awesome at the NJ show I saw them at.

How the mighty have fallen...

Growing up, Guns N Roses and Metallica were huge around the time I was first really getting into music. Here it is about 20 years later, and both bands recently released new albums. I rented both from the library after avoiding hearing any new songs until now. Rather than just download them, I wanted to get the full experience. I wrote about each song while listening to them, so you're getting my first impressions track by track.


Guns N Roses- Chinese Democracy
We all know this album took around 10 years to finish, so here it is... The opening track "Chinese Democracy" sounds like AXL's doing a duet w/ himself. There's both screachy AXL and singing AXL, and there's a bunch of guitar solos, none of which very interesting. The next track, "Shackler's Revenge" has a pretty terrible Nine Inch Nails vibe. The chorus at least seems to have a hook to it, so I could imagine this being on the radio. Luckily I don't listen to the radio. "Better" is almost similar to later era GNR, but ultimately falls flat. "Streets on Dreams" is a piano heavy mid paced song, but it sure as hell is no "November Rain," which I think is what they were going for. The next track "If the World" has a funk meets industrial meets Spanish guitar thing going on... Pretty bad, yea! "There was a Time" is the longest track on the CD, and one of the most boring. "Catcher in the Rye" is another mid paced piano/synthesizer rocker. A little more interesting, but still not holding my interest. "Riad N' The Bedouins" is an attempt/failure at a straight forward rock song. "Sorry" is AXL once again attacking his critics, but I mean honestly, can you blame them. "IRS" is only a little bit more interesting, but maybe just because it was shorter than the previous songs. It seems like they were trying to make "Madagascar" the epic of the album. It's mid paced, and has samples of speeches and movie quotes. They even have the same sample they used before "Civil War" on "Use Your Illusion II." The fake violin sounds aren't helping either. "This I Love" is definitely the slow ballad of the album, but falls massively short of a "power ballad" or even a "monster ballad. "Prostitute" ends the album pretty much the same as the rest of the songs, nothing too interesting here. Overall, the only really listenable tracks are "Chinese Democracy, Skackler's Revenge and Madagascar;" but I probably wouldn't listen to even those again.
The cover art is pretty boring, but the inside layout is way more interesting. Basically live shots w/ halftoned images in the background behind the lyrics. They should have gotten the designer who did the inside to do the outside. The credits and thank yous in the back take up 5 pages, but I guess that makes sense when you start recording an album 10 years ago. If this album came out when it logically should have, I may have not been as critical. Overall however, it lacks the punch and attitude that made me like GNR in the first place though. This is pretty disgraceful, and I'd listen to Velvet Revolver any day over this... Make another "Appetite for Destruction," not "Use Your Illusion" III!


Metallica- Death Magnetic
When I popped this into my computer, the song lengths in iTunes got me hopeful. Seems Metallica has abandoned making radio-length crappy songs. "That Was Just Your Life" kicks off pretty good, but loses some momentum when the vocals come in. The drumming is pretty boring, but at least has better tone than on the last album. "The End Of The Line" has some shadows of more "Black Album"-era Metallica. So far, this is better than I was expecting. "Broken, Beat & Scarred" is kinda heavy, but again falls flat in the vocal department. "The Day That Never Comes" reminds me of some of the slower ballads on the Black Album, but the lead guitar tone just seems off for some reason. It does speed up towards the end, but the lyrics are pretty crappy. "All Nightmare Long" starts off real good with a 2 minute instrumental part, but again gets boring when the vocals kick in. "Cyanide" is a little more aggressive than the previous tracks. The next song is called "The Unforgiven III" as if "The Unforgiven" and "The Unforgiven II" weren't enough. Obviously my expectations were pretty low for this one, and they were met. "The Judas Kiss" actually isn't too bad, and kinda has an "Enter Sandman" vibe. The intro to "Suicide & Redemption" is pretty cool w/ the bass playing, but is ultimately ruined by some pretty bad guitar. I do like the idea of an instrumental track, but this needs to be a lot faster to hold my interest. It seems weird that "My Apocalypse" ends the album, since it's the shortest track, but one of the better songs. It's cool that they tried to tap in their old style of song writing for this, but I think it's still too tame sounding. The song lengths pretty much guarantee that nothing will be played on the radio, but the songs lack the fury of their older days.
The layout of the cover is pretty interesting. the whole book has a die-cut in the middle of a coffin, so visually it looks like you're going deeper into the ground with each page. Occasionally the die-cut hole is used in each page's layout, but most times not. The holes do however cut into the lyrics, which I would think would be more important than the imagery. Overall I'd say this is probably the best record they've done since the Black Album, but I still would rather hear them recapture the magic of "Master of Puppets" and "Ride the Lightning."

OK, after wasting a little over an hour of my precious time (that was sarcasm), I'd say that both albums suck. I would take the Metallica album over the Guns N Roses album by far, but Metallica has more good albums than GNR do anyway. Metallica have made an improvement on what they'd been doing recently by far, which maybe you can credit it to (professional turd polisher) Rick Rubin. Guns N Roses took over 10 years to write, record and release a terrible album. This is why most old bands that still tour just stick to a greatest hits set list.

Super 7 - Something for Nothing Zombie

I've mentioned the toy company Super 7 a while back w/ the Groilla Biscuits toy. A few weeks back, Super 7 posted this on their blog:
Being in the vinyl toy business we thought creating a little stimulus should come easy. On February 13 Super7 will release the "Something for Nothing" Hooded Zombie. We are offering 20 free toys to anyone who can prove to us they have been laid off since September 15th 2008. In the event we get more than 20 submissions we will hold a lottery. The best proof is a copy of an unemployment check or a continued claim forum. PLEASE BLACK OUT PERSONAL INFORMATION! Send your information to johngalt@super7store.com by February 13th at 9am along with your mailing address and t-shirt size.
For everyone else, the price is $50 through the web store.

Being unemployed, I figured what the hell, and submitted my proof. Last week when I got home from skateboarding I saw a package on my doorstep, and it was the toy! I mean I sorta expected it, but it seemed too good to be true. The detail is way better than the picture, and the hood and gloves are removable. It's really awesome that a small company would do something like this. You'd never see a big company like Wall Mart do this. Super 7, expect an order from me once I get my tax rebate. Thanks! This and a $25 a week raise according to the new stimulus package, it's a good time to be unemployed (that was half sarcastic by the way).

First record reviews post of '09

Hi, welcome to 2009. Here's some records I got between the last reviews post and now. Been strapped for cash lately, plus the record budget has been tightened due to my new toy customizing hobby.

7"s:

Obliteration- s/t
I had heard from some friends that this was good, so I tracked it down w/o really knowing anything about this MA band. It may be a side project of people in other bands, and as far as I know they never played a show. It's real good crust influenced hardcore w/ echoey vocal effects. There's an intro that sorta reminds me of early Metallica (that's a compliment). It's similar to a heavier Crucifix kinda. Real cool cut and paste style art w/ a foldout poster cover too.


Cold Shoulder- Patriot
I liked Cold Shoulder's songs on the Punx Don't Drink comp, so I picked up their debut 7". I like this a lot, it reminds me a lot of Blank Stare in that it's fast, but at the same time heavy I guess. Cold Shoulder is part of the current crop of sXe bands that are more influenced by the early 80's hardcore scene, than the typical varsity jacket and Nike wearing sXe scene. Great debut, I'm looking forward to seeing them live.


Groinoids- Radiobeat Sessions
You may know the Groinoids from the classic This Is Boston Not LA and Unsafe At Any Speed comps. This is a legit (as far as I know) reissue of the entire session. A lost treasure if you will... The Groinoids were very different and much more unusual compared to most of the Boston bands. Probably more similar to bands like United Mutation or Void, but not as fast.


NN- s/t
A pretty unassuming cover, but it houses a monster of a debut E.P. In case you didn't know, this is Martin's (Los Crudos/ Limp Wrist/ Needles) new band. In this I'd say there's a much more Crudos sound since the vocals are in Spanish. Not a rehash of worn territory by any means though. The music is more on the punk side, but still fast and definitely won't disappoint.


Guilty Faces- Nightmares
I was a big fan of Guilty Faces' demo, and from seeing them a lot, I knew what to expect from the new record. They seem to have slowed down a bit, but still retain the good elements from their demo. The music is sort of a cross between Dangerhouse Records style punk and some Revolution Summer style guitar leads. One of the songs even give me a Samiam feel to it. However the vocals are real raspy, which make it way more punk sounding. Modern bands I might compare them to would be Libyans and Pedestrians.


God Fodder- No Sleep
Godfodder was band I came across on Myspace, and did a show for them in NJ. They pull off the early 80's stripped down hardcore punk sound better than a lot of better known current bands. The guitar tone is very reminiscent of the early Dischord bands. This is real good, give it a shot.


Alarmed- s/t
Pretty cool record by this MD band, who seems to take the more modern HC sound of MLIW and Ruiner, but infuse more rock styled guitar solos and leads. One of the songs reminds me of a Suicide File song. The cover is full color and 3 panels, which gives it a real slick look, but doesn't look like a typical HC record (that could be good or bad I suppose). While it's not usually my style, it's a pretty solid record.


V/A- Punx Don't Drink
This is a compilation of straight edge bands who are more punk influenced than your average edge bands, and features 2 new tracks by Poison Planet, Boiling Over, Coke Bust and Cold Shoulder. Poison Planet kicks things off w/ 2 re-recorded demo tracks, which sound great. This was my first exposure to Boiling Over, and it's pretty good, worthy of taking their name from and SSD song. Coke Bust bring 2 tracks from their demo tape they had over the summer. These songs are a great improvement from their 7" last year, and I'm sure their new LP will turn some heads. Cold Shoulder was another band I wasn't familiar with, and was really impressed. So much so that I bought their 7" (one of their songs is also on that). Overall, compilations and good straight edge bands are a rare commodity these days, so if you like good hardcore (and don't drink) you need to check this out!


Out Cold/ For The Worse
These 2 long running "Massholes" team up for a vicious split EP. Both bands have many records out, so I feel like I'd be repeating myself by describing either band. All you gotta know is both bands bring their A game to this split. check it out.
*FUN FACT* I did the FTW insert layout


12"s:

Blank Stare- s/t
After some delays on the US pressing, the Blank Stare LP finally comes out. I'd be so bold as to say it was worth the wait! Being a big fan of the previous recorded output, this was certainly no let down. There sound is somewhere along the lines of SSD meets Uniform Choice, with some heavier post-Damaged era Black Flag parts. As good as this band is on record, they're even more over the top live. Probably one of the most under appreciated current bands.


Hjertestop- Vi Ses i Helvede
I loved their 7" on Kick and Punch from a few years back, so I was super pumped on this new record. I'll be honest, I couldn't wait for the US press, and downloaded it. I finally have the real deal now, and it sounds great! Musically it's similar to a lot of the recent crop of Danish early 80's inspired bands. "Steroid Rage" is catchy as hell, as well as a bunch of the others that aren't in English. I've heard a comparison to early Bad Religion for these guys before, which I'd somewhat agree with (minus the "oozin ahhs"). I'm real excited about their US tour coming up.


Total Abuse- s/t
I loved Total Abuse's demo and 7", so naturally I was pumped to get this new LP. They boost the weirdness factor a lot on this record, but in a good way. The songs are a bit more distorted and frantic, and stray a bit from the sound of the previous recordings. "Banned in Austin" is a cool slow dirge, but there's some other longer songs on this record that aren't as interesting. Definitely different from the previous records (most songs on the demo barely topped a minute). I'd say it's still good, just not what you'd expect.


Failures- s/t
Failures is a new band w/ members of Das Oath, Ampere, Cut The Shit, Charles Bronson, among others. Musically, I would say it's similar to Das Oath, but maybe a bit faster and not as weird. The guitar riffs aren't standard power chords, which is kinda weird. It's fast and weird, but overall not very interesting. Like other Youth Attack releases it's overpriced and annoying (the lyric sheet comes in a sealed envelope). It's not bad, I like it a lot more than Das Oath and Ampere, but still overall nothing special.


Socialcide- Unapproachable
I was a big fan of Socialcide's demo and I liked their 7" as well. After a few listens to the LP, I'm not as into it. Maybe there were some lineup changes, but it's not as interesting. The drumming is real simple, and the guitar tone isn't very good. It's still the same fast hardcore punk, but it's lacking in hooks. There's a lot more slower parts on here, which isn't a bad thing, but kinda slows the pace of the record I guess. It's not bad, but compared tot he few times I saw them live, I think I was expecting more.

demos:
Draize (tape)
I had the privilege to play with Draize a few times on tour, and they were always good. Their sound is like a combination of Left For Dead and early Integrity meets some crusty influences like Dropdead. The music goes from heavy and slow to fast as hell. I like the fast parts better, but there's a nice balance. They also get huge points for covering Slapshot live.

Draize- Long Knives (tape)
This is basically Draize's 2nd demo (unless it's going to be a 7" in the future), and it continues in the same vein as the first. I think this stuff is more fast, and has a somewhat power violence influence to it's heaviness. If you liked the demo, you're gonna like this more.

Plague Bearers (CDr)
Plague Bearers is a new band from NJ, which I'm real excited about. Musically it's similar to the Degenerics, but with a lot less guitar noodling. The vocals are real raspy, sorta like Filth. The last song has some alternating vocal parts which I'd like to see more of on the next record, since it provides a nice balance. Great demo, probably one of the more promising local bands.

Kill Andrade (CDr)
Got this in the mail, so I don't know much about these guys. There are parts that are fast, but the vocals are more of a melodic almost Husker Du style. It seems like there's some emo influenced parts to the songs as well, but the drumming is more interesting. I kinda get a Glassjaw vibe.

Not that it's really a review, but I recently heard the Chain of Strength 7" versions with the original mix. I had only been familiar w/ the reissue that Revelation Records put out, and always thought it was just ok, but too polished sounding. This however was not always the case, as the original mixes were more raw sounding. You can download them HERE!

NYCC '09- freebies and sweet hauls!

So rather than just taking pictures of the new products or the crowds like everyone else, I decided to highlight the real reason people go to NY Comic Con- FREE STUFF! You can view the pictures on my Flickr site.
FRIDAY

Obviously there's going to be tons of free comics at Comic Con. DC had a reprint of issue 1 of the Watchmen, which is some essential reading. Another table was giving away X-Force #1 and had original art from the comic on display. I actually saw Rob Liefeld at another booth doing sketches, which was unannounced and kinda surprising to see. The Comic Con magazine is a pretty good guide to navigating the massive Javits Center. Most of the rest of the picture are promo post cards. I do want to point out that the Angry Penguin card was a 2 sided screen print, and looks great.

Here's a pile of business cards and stickers. More importantly check out that foam Wolverine hand! These were given out after viewing the video game trailer and some game play of the new Wolverine Origins game. I don't own a video game system, but the game looked ridiculously good. The other foam item is a Dead Like Me toilet seat. I'm a fan of the series, and in the first episode the main character gets killed by a toilet seat that fell from a space station. Kind of an inside reference, but I am interested to see the movie they have coming out.

There were a lot of posters to be had, especially Fox, who had some good promos. I also got an S. Darko shirt free from them, but I gave it away since it was too big for me. Nice shirt though...

While wandering around I swung by the NerdCore table and saw some sweet Jim Mahfood comics. Little did I know that the dude selling me the comics was the man himself. I've been a huge fan of his work for a while, and had I known he was going to be there, I would've brought more stuff for him to sign. He did sign his new Carl book, which is amazing. I also came across a pretty adorable vinyl figure by Jeff Pidgeon, the Happy Beaver. That is one happy little beaver! The McDonald figure is part of the new Ron English blind box series by Secret Base. I thought it was going to be much bigger based on the box size, but it's still pretty cool. The panda is the NYCC Chinese New Year version of the Yoka character, who looks equally good standing or sitting. I picked up a Labbit for a friend who smokes, but when I opened it, it turned out to have a mustache. I was excited for the Ugly Doll action figures, so I made sure to go there early in the day. David Horvath was there, and was nice enough to sign it then, instead of making me wait for signing hours! The red cat is by RealXHead, which i got from Giant Robot. I like the lucky cat, and seeing it w/ one eye makes it much cooler. I was glad to get the Frozen Empire MAD*L and print by Andrew Bell. He was also there to sign the back of him. The MAD*L is made of a translucent light blue vinyl, which makes it look icy. Definitely my favorite of the series!

I also was able to get Mark Texeira to sign the Wolverine comic that i have tattoo'd on my leg. I really wanted to go on Saturday for the Pushead signing, but I'm sure the line was crazy anyway, and I had to work. I decided late Saturday night that I would go on Sunday since I didn't have SPG practice this week.
SUNDAY

Of course there were pretty much the same freebies as Friday on Sunday, butt here were a few things I guess I missed. I got a bunch of comics from DC's Vertigo table, and some cool stickers from My Plastic Heart. The cooler freebie was the Fishing Master video game sweatband. I did miss out on the inflatable He-Man sword from the Mattel booth unfortunately. I forgot to bring my Goon comics, but Eric Powell was cool enough to sign the poster they were giving out for me.

I picked up another MAD*L today after having a day to enjoy the Frozen Empire version. I decided I wanted to customize one, but didn't want to pay the $50 for the blank. I got the abominal snowman since it's mostly white already. The white MiniMate was a freebie, but I took a pic of it with the toys because it was so cool. Lou Pimentel was cool enough to draw on a House of Liu- Di Di figure for me. It looks great! I got the GlyosXSucklord piece, which they apparently just painted that day and was limited to 20. When I went by the UglyDolls booth, David Horvath was doing a signing, so I took the opportunity to get another figure signed. Got a Babo this time, gotta keep trying for an Ox... I also picked up another RealXHead cat figure as a gift for someone, this time in gray.

I wandered past Jacob Chabot's table in Artist's Alley, and his Skullboy character caught my eye, so I picked up one of his mini comics. He was nice enough to sign it and do a little doodle. Bummer he was out of the Skullboy vinyl toys though. I also got The X-Men: Deadly Genesis and X-Men: Fall Of Mutants from a table that had all graphic novels for $5. I really didn't get very many comics at all surprisingly.

This is by far the coolest autograph I got. I got Peter Laird and Steve Lavigne to sign my old TMNT graphic novel, and do little sketches. I heard later that day that Kevin Eastman was at the con also... dang!

Gorilla Biscuits Vinyl Toy review

There's been some buzz lately about the Gorilla Biscuits x Super 7 vinyl toy collaboration. Gorilla Biscuits were one of the first hardcore bands I got into, and it was really what sparked my interest to dig deeper. When I heard about the toy, I was kind of on the fence. I know a lot of people were put off by the $50 price tag, but being a fan of vinyl toys I knew that was about the going rate. Honestly I think they could have charged more since the quality is pretty good, and a bit more involved than some of their other toys. I made sure to order it as soon as I could since I knew it would sell out fast (It wound up selling out in like 5 hours).
A lot of the toy blogs were bashing the sculpt, and I somewhat agree. The gorilla looks similar to the classic record cover, but lacks some of the attitude in the pose. It looks like the knees should have a little bend to them in the original, and the feet should be a lot bigger. I had read somewhere that Civ worked with them on this, so if it's got Civ's blessing then it's ok with me. The blue paint job was made to reference the first pressing blue of the GB 7" cover. I'm not sure how I feel about a gray gorilla, since I imagined it being more tan colored from my old "Hold Your Ground" shirt. They also did a solid black and solid clear vinyl versions, both with no paint. I'm sure the banana yellow vinyl (2nd press) won't be far behind. The back of the header card has a background taken from the B-side label, proving this was a labor of love.
The minimalist packaging should appeal to environmentalists, as well as people who don't like saving packaging. I've got a box full of empty Dunny boxes in my room for some reason, so the bag and header card is much more simple. I should also note that I also ordered a Ghost Land figure and magazine w/ my order, and wound up getting 6 Ghost Land figures (they were apparently giving them away as promos w/ the GB figures), and 3 magazines. Super 7 gets a big thumbs up in my book. If they decide to do a Minor Threat toy or a Bad Religion (actually a "Suffer" boy toy would be fucking incredible) or any of my favorite punk rock heroes, I'd buy it!

*In case any record collector nerds were wondering, that GB 7" in the picture is from the 3rd pressing*

Best Records of 2008

"It's the end of a fucked up year," so here's some records that I really enjoyed that were released over the past 12 months. Obviously these are just my personal opinions, so most people would probably disagree. Like they say, opinions are like assholes...

Best 7"s of 2008

1. Reprobates- Stress
2. Inmates- Now We Talkin Hardcore
3. Needles- s/t
4. Sacred Shock- s/t
5. Violent Arrest- Criminal Record

It was a tough one. Inmates release their first new record in like 9 years, and it certainly doesn't disappoint. However, Reprobates debut release (and only release, since they're done now) is a fucking scorcher. Needles is another one that came out of nowhere and is amazing. It seemed to go out of print immediately, so hopefully it'll be re-pressed or you luck out and find one. Sacred Shock made good on the potential that their demo showed, and put out a damn good 7". Violent Arrest released an LP's worth of material on a 2x7" set that shows that the old dudes still know how to rock.

Best 12"s of 2008

1. Devour- s/t
2. Gauze -Binbou Yusuri No Rizumu Ni Notte
3. Blank Stare- s/t
4. Chronic Seizure- Ancient World
5. Straight Jacket Nation- Cheap Kicks

Devour is better than Gauze? Let me explain, you know Gauze's LP is gonna be good... IT'S FUCKING GAUZE! Devour on the other hand is a band nobody's heard of that went straight to LP. The surprise factor alone is why it's my #1. Blank Stare's LP squeaked in at the end of 08, despite being out in Europe since this summer. I'll have a more thorough review next time, but it's good, pretty much what you'd expect from Blank Stare. Chronic Seizure put out 2 pretty good 7"s, then really came into their own on this LP. I had the pleasure of seeing Straight Jacket Nation a few times on their US tour this summer, and they scorched each time. Total 9 Shocks worship from Australia of all places.

Honorable Mentions
Poison Planet- Normally I do a top 5 demos section, but there weren't too many that really grabbed me this year. Poison Planet's demo on the other hand is fucking fantastic; the 7" should be dropping in early 09, and it's good.
Libyans- they released 2 great records this year, and "Welcome to the Neighborhood" is probably one of the best songs this year. It was definitely stuck in my head for weeks.
Reissues: Systematic Death, Paintbox, Die Kreuzen, Mob 47, Unseen Force
Repercussions- their 7" that came out was a top contender for the 5, but I went w/ the new blood. Consider it 5.5 due to the fact that i knew it was gonna rule, and it did.
the Repos- broke up this year, but released an album where they cover Youth of Today's "We're Not In This Alone" LP. It's played much more raw than the original, but was limited to 300 and sold out at their last shows. I'd like to own a real copy, but I'm not paying eBay prices.

Q: Reviews? A: Reviews!

Some really great releases this time around. The Devour LP is a top contender for LP of the year for sure. There's some great reissues from Mob 47, Paintbox and Die Kreuzen, and a bunch of new demos. Thanks to Josh from Barbarossa Records for hooking me up with the Culture Shock and Daggers Rule records. The next reviews post will most likely be the Best of 2008 post... get psyched!

7"s:

Violent Arrest- Criminal Record
A double 7" release from these old dudes. At first I wondered why they didn't just make another LP, but the 7"s flow real well as 2 separate records. If you've been sleeping on VA as just another "old dudes trying to relive their glory days" band, you're an asshole because this record is fucking awesome. I like this way more than the LP they did. It's like buying an LP, but it's cheaper and you have to flip it more.


Mob 47- s/t
What can really be said about this classic record other than Havoc rules for reissuing it, and making it much more widely available. Seriously, anyone into raw full speed d-beat thrash needs this. Now you have no excuse.


Retainers- Lose It
In the realm of current bands doing garage punk, the Retainers are one of the best in my opinion. There's the right balance of rock and roll guitar, punk and shitty recording quality. I'm eagerly waiting for their LP to come out.


Libyans- Welcome to the Neighborhood
I guess I'll start off by saying "Welcome to the Neighborhood" is one damn catchy song that definitely got stuck in my head for a few days. This record is sorta like a single for that one song, which I'm totally fine with. It reminds me of Tilt, if Tilt was a halfway decent band. The B-side is 2 much faster songs that are also really good, but very different from the mid-paced punk of the A-side. Also you can apparently play "Welcome to the Neighborhood" in Rock Band 2, but I don't play video games.


Born Bad- s/t
I thought the second Born Bad EP was ok, so I picked up the first. I'd say the second is a bit better, but that makes sense. Still the same fast/pissed hardcore, kinda like a more stripped down Under Pressure. It's ok.


Middle America- s/t
After a solid demo, I was excited to finally get an EP from these boys. It's definitely a lot more raw (in a good way) and has some weird parts. Reminds me of Die Kreuzen a bit, though not nearly as tight. Pretty good debut EP.


No Peace?- Zombie Brains
I was expecting something a little more crazy seeing as it's coming from Cleveland. This sounds a lot like Disclose though, which is pretty cool at any rate. Ugly maniacal d-beat.


Sinks- Beat Out My Brains
Some more low-fi garage rock w/ members of the Retainers. Only 3 songs on this one, but a little better recording quality than their first 7". "Beat out my Brains" is pretty catchy. There's also 3 different covers for this, but I got mine from the label and got all 3 on 1 record.


Homostupids- the Edge
If you read this blog, I've reviewed all the other Homostupids records before, so you should know what you're getting into. Sounds like their other EPs: loud, poorly recorded, and awesome. You're not getting anything different with this one.


Black Mark- Wrecked
Solid debut 1 sided 7". They play some 80's style hardcore punk with a more brutal/ tough sound, similar to Life's Blood or Violent Minds. It's loud and angry, the way hardcore should be played. Hardware Records does it again...


Civil Victim- Mehr Krieg!
First of all the only place that says "Civil Victim" is the A-side label, which is kinda a dumb idea. Anyway, this record is pretty cool, reminds me of D.S.-13 a little. Real fast full speed thrashy hardcore.


Culture Shock-s/t
Don't know too much about Culture Shock other than they 're from upstate NY. There seems to be a heavy Infest/ Lack of Interest influence, but this definitely stays more on the hardcore side of things. I'm even hearing some early Born Against influence in there too. Pretty cool thrash with heavy parts that straddles the line between more traditional HC/punk, crust and powerviolence.


Daggers Rule- Gleaming the 'Cuse
Well they sold me with the name, since it's a reference to the best movie ever- THRASHIN'. What it looks like is that you get 2 recording sessions (1 on each side) by an now defunct band from Syracuse. The music reminds me of the earlier eras of Bones Brigade and Municipal Waste before they turned into shitty metal bands. The vocals however are a lot more brutal and NYHC influenced.


The No Jons
Found this in a used bin, and I had read that it was like Descendents/ Screeching Weasel styled pop-punk. I was real into that stuff in high school, so I figured I would give it a chance. It's more like Crimpshrine, but I'm not really into it. Maybe I've just gotten too old and grumpy to listen to pop-punk anymore... or maybe this just stinks.


Violent Arrest- s/t
Finally picked this up right before posting this (that's why it's so far down). Fucking great EP from these old dudes. Awesome Fix cover as well. Definitely get this one too.


For The Worse/ Kids of Carnage
For the Worse is back again with 2 new songs. The first one is standard FTW fare or Boston style hardcore with high pitched vocals. The second track however is almost Bouncing Souls sounding. Kinda weird, but cool. Kids of Carnage play a more riff heavy style of hardcore, that's I guess more NYHC influenced.
Fun Fact: I did the cover design/layout on this one!

12"s:

Devour- s/t
HOL-E-SHIT! Going straight to LP without a demo is risky maneuver, but I'll be damned if Devour don't prove that theory wrong. This really reminds me of Animosity era Corrosion of conformity mixed with some Totalitar styled D-beat, and some Japanese hardcore rage. After listening to this it inspired me to listen to Judgement if that gives you any indication of where they're coming from. The packaging is also top notch, BIG fold out poster insert, and you get a CD of the whole LP (plus a 46 minute bonus track). GET THIS!


Libyans- s/t
The Libyans LP picks up where Side 2 of their 7" left off- fast early 80's style punk. I would imagine that a lot of people compare them to The Avengers. "Empty Mornings" is the only real mid paced song on here, but the rest of the record speeds by. The cover art is interesting, the sleeve is just a brick wall, and there's a piece of acetate w/ the artwork spray painted on it. Plus it comes with a wooden airplane!


Die Kreuzen- s/t
Another hardcore classic reissued. I don't think this record gets the respect it deserves. It's just as good as Cows and Beer, and there's even a few songs from that record re-recorded here. Touch and Go even gives you a coupon to download mp3s of the record when you buy it. This is a classic hardcore LP which I highly recommend.


Nightstick Justice- s/t
After 3 raging 7"s (one of them being their demo though), it's about time NJ released their 7". When playing fast early 80's styled hardcore punk, it's sometimes hard to make the leap from 7" to LP. Nightstick Justice pull it off, and I think the recording quality is a bit more raw than their last 7", Claustrophobic. That's a good thing. If it matters, I'm reviewing the European pressing. I hear the US pressing will be re-mixed/mastered or something.


Loser Life- I Have Ghosts and I Have Ghosts
A pretty interesting record here. I hadn't heard any other Loser Life releases before this one, and was pleasantly surprised. There's elements of Husker Du styled punk, or maybe you'd call that melodic hardcore. I even get a slight emo vibe, kinda like Boy Sets Fire's earlier material. It's way too fast to be considered emo, and it's too dirty to be pop-punk. I'm gonna stick with the Husker Du comparison, fast tempos with occasional screamed vocals.


Paintbox- Earth Ball Sports Tournament
The fine folks at Prank have reissued this spectacular LP by one of Japan's greats. I've had this in mp3 form for years, but it's great to see it get an awesome vinyl treatment. Gatefold cover, colored vinyl and English translated lyrics make this a great package. I had no Idea that the cover art even wrapped around. This LP is great because it combines the Burning Spirits Japanese styled hardcore with rock and roll elements. There's trumpets, recorders, harmonica and some other non-conventional punk instruments. Normally I'd think that would be a bad idea, but damnit if Paintbox don't make it work. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED! (RIP Chelsea)

demos:
Poison Planet (tape)
Maybe I'm just biased, but any non-jock meathead straight edge band always gets high marks in my book. Poison Planet definitely fits in with modern sXe bands such as Blank Stare and Coke Bust. Their sound is more influenced by Negative Approach, but with some slight youth crew influence. I even get a little bit of fellow Chicago dwellers, the Repos. The lyrics cover more interesting topics. Easily the best demo of 2008, even my non-edge friends like it.
Fun Fact: I play bass on their upcoming 7" and comp releases.

Video Disease (tape)
A pretty good demo, though real short it packs a punch. You get 3 songs and a sloppy DYS cover (if they're actually a straight edge band I'd be psyched). Really raw chaotic early 80s styled hardcore similar to Koro. I really hope they named their band after the Beaver song.

Black Kites- Advancement to Ruins (3 song sampler) (CDr)
Normally this isn't my bag, but I'm friends w/ some of these guys so I snagged their demo/sampler. This reminds me of some of the metal-core I heard in the late 90's, kinda like Converge and Cave In. The music doesn't have the things I hate about metal hardcore though- double bass drums and cookie monster vocals, so that's good. These 3 songs will be on their upcoming LP, which should be out in January I think.

Transitions (CDr)
While I normally hate CDs, this has a real interesting package of the lyric sheet folded to surround the CD with the band's name stamped on the outside. Transitions plays what I guess people would call "modern hardcore," similar to bands like MLIW and Ruiner or B9 bands. For that style, it's pretty good, though usually not my thing. The recording quality is really good for a demo too.

No Illusions (CDr)
Being named after a State song is a good way to get my attention. Musically I get a vibe similar to Career Suicide (but without the annoying vocals) and Government Warning mixed with the classic Boston HC style. Real solid demo, I'd like to hear more from these guys.

Bad Habit (CDr)
We played with these guys on tour. They sound like a more ballsy Kid Dynamite, but a lot faster. I don't know what any of the songs are called since this was just a CDr that said "Bad Habit" in a clear sleeve. One of the songs fades out though, which is a no-no. They have a split 7" coming out soon.

Four Fingers- 69 Dudes (tape)
It's kinda hard to pinpoint the sound on this one, it's like a mix between pop-punk and alternative I guess. Seems kinda like everyone's into something different in the band, so the sound's being thrown in all different directions. The best song on here is probably "Monster Headache," but they get bonus points for doing a cassette.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

Also since I'm talkin music, my band WORMEATERS just released our second E.P. entitled Cattle Cannot Choose. You can get it from us or American Waste Records.
SPG is about 75% done recording our first 7", it's gonna be GOOD.
Video Nasty has been playing some shows lately. Hopefully recording a demo in early December.
I Hate This has been busy writing a new EP, and will be touring down to FL for TIFY fest at the end of the year.
I'm starting 2 more bands, but nothing solid to report yet. No job or girlfriend leaves me plenty of time for hardcore.

Classic Comps vol. 2- We Got Power: Party or Go Home

I could have gone a more obvious route with my Classic Comps posts, but I really think the We Got Power: Party or Go Home comp is great. Fortunately it's available from the We Got Power website in the mp3s section. This comp was put out on Mystic Records, which people seem to have some poor opinions of. However, you can't deny that they put out some really great records for a while. It was compiled by the people who did the We Got Power zine. It's great that this comp has bands from all over the USA, and not just a certain area.
Unfortunately I don't own an actual copy of this, so I apologize if any info is incorrect.

1. THE AUTHORITIES "I Hate Cops"
Couldn't have picked a better song to start a comp in my opinion. This song is catchy as hell, and who doesn't hate cops? I could probably do entire post about how much I love the Authorities, if you want I can send you their entire discography. Great california style hardcore punk, similar to the Adolescents.

2. THE NIP DRIVERS "Tang"
Don't know much about the Nip Drivers, but this song is great. Probably considered offensive by today's standards, but a great song. This song makes me wanna pogo.

3. JFA "Middle America"
JFA rules, you know that. I wouldn't really say this is one of their best songs. It's got elements of the JFA sound, but overall not that interesting.

4. DR. KNOW "Savior"
Dr. Know was one of the more heavy Nardcore bands, and this is probably one of their faster songs. They later went on to add a little metal crossover sound, but this is real fast. More blasphemous hardcore punk.

5. WHITE FLAG "Celabate/ Hoppity Hooper"
Don't know much about White Cross, but Celibate is fucking great. Fast hardcore, chorus is the title of the song repeated over and over again. Fucking rules. Hoppity Hooper isn't as good.

6. WHITE CROSS "Nuke Attack"
White Cross deliver a song that's just as great as their 7"s songs. Probably my favorite band from VA; just good raw fast hardcore punk.

7. FUCK-UPS "Bacon and Eggs"
This song should be called "Short and Sweet," not only because it is, but they say it a bunch in the song. Pretty much perfect by the books short fast hardcore song.

8. PUTRID GIRLS "1 2 3 4"
Pretty catchy number from these ladies. I could do without the saxophone solo, but the chorus will get stuck in your head.

9. ILL REPUTE "Count the Odds"
FUCK, Ill Repute is so good. This is them at their peak, this song is fast as fuck and fucking rules. They repeat the phrase so many times...

10. STALAG 13 "Selfish"
Stalag 13 was always one of the weaker Nardcore bands, but still pretty decent. This song's ok, but not a real standout.

11. REBEL TRUTH "Monkey's Paw"
Rebel Truth is probably the most underrated band. This song was later re-recorded for their amazing 7", but with the words changed to "Child Holds a Parasite." I like this version better, but it could be since I heard this version first.

12. WILLFUL NEGLECT "E.M.S. & D."
Great track here, fast fucking hardcore. "Eat My Shit & Die!"

13. TAR BABIES "Confused"
Tar Babies were an OK band, and this song is probably one of their better ones.

14. MECHT MENSCH "Might Makes Right"
Another extremely underrated band, who for some reason get written off as at Tar Babies side project, but are so much better. This song is just as good as the ones on their 7", which is amazing.

15. GRAVEN IMAGE "My World"
Another underrated band from the VA/DC scene. Again, just as good as the songs on their 7", which I would highly recommend.

16. THE VACANT "Caught by the Mafia"
I'll be damned if the Vacant ever recorded anything else, and if they didn't that's fine. When you write a song like this, it doesn't matter. This is probably my favorite song on this comp. The guitar seemingly has no tone at all, and it's way too fast to understand the verses. Perfect aw dirty hardcore punk.

17. ADRENALIN OD "World War 4"
From my home state of NJ, A.O.D. hold it down w/ their signature fast hc sound. There's even a little "Pop Goes the Weasel" instrumental at the end.

18. THE CLONES "Conform to the Norm"
A kinda weird DEVO-style song, but still pretty solid.

19. THE BIG BOYS "Brick Walls"
I was always kinda on the fence about the Big Boys since you can't listen to any of their albums all the way through w/o skipping some crummy funk songs. I feel the same way about the Bad Brains too. Either way, this is definitely NOT a song to skip. This is probably my favorite song by them.

20. SIN 34 "Not"
Sin 34 is probably my favorite 80's hc/punk band w/ a female vocalist (up there w/ No Thanks). This is a short one, but it's real good. Apparently their discography will finally be available, and I highly recommend it.

21. MINUTEMEN "Party With Me Punker"
I know the Minutemen did a lot, but this is really all I have by them. It's a pretty slow, but short catchy number. Not bad...

22. DAYGLO ABORTIONS "Scared of People"
God, the block clicks on this song are so weird/great. This song is awesome, it's your standard hardcore punk, but with a lot of weird percussion which makes it really stand out.

23. CAUSTIC CAUSE "Look to the Left"
Solid song here, short fast hardcore. I'm into it, don't know what else they did.

24. DON'T NO "Blind Ambition"
Starts off a little slow, but picks up, then gets slow again in the breakdown. Not great, but not bad.

25. S.V.D.B. "Flames of Hell"
With a song called "Flames of Hell," you'd probably expect some dumb metal. NOPE, it sounds like some classic CA style skate punk. Don't know if they're from CA, but this song sounds like they are. Awesome!

26. PATRIOTS "Cavity"
Real raw one here with lots of cool start/stop parts. It's a cool song, but would be better if the stops were tighter.

27. HATED PRINCIPLES "Survival At All Costs"
Hated Principles offer a mid paced punk rock song; not too great.

28. CRANKSHAFT "New Wave Homos"
Another seemingly offensive one here, not very interesting though.

29. URBAN ASSAULT (S.F.) "Night on the Town"
It's kinda interesting that they have 2 bands w/ the same name right after each other. Kinda interesting song that's very bass driven. Pretty good, but all the breaks kinda make me lose interest.

30. URBAN ASSAULT (Tahoe) "Rock'n'Roll Burnout"
This Urban Assault song is much more raw and fast. I'd say the better Urban Assault.

31. 7 SECONDS "Wasted Life Ain't No Crime"
Damn, 7 Seconds doing one of their future classics. It's more raw than the later versions of this song, but it's a great song from an awesome band.

32. JACK SHIT "Follow the Leader"
This is another awesome band who I don't know anything else about, but this is a great song! I like how his voice cracks, and there's an unnecessary saxophone solo in the end. Still rules.

33. 7 Seconds "Definite Choice"
Don't know why they broke up the 2 7 Seconds songs. Either way, this song rules, same as the other, just a more raw recording of a future classic.

34. ROMULANS "Judgement Day"
This song is boring.

35. NO LABELS "Ego"
Not bad, not great. Has slow verses and fast choruses. eh...

36. ARMED RESPONSE "Too Gross for Comfort"
Ok, this is a good one. A song about the actor Ted Knight (Caddyshack/ Too Close For Comfort), which is kinda cool I guess. I like it.

37. DERANGED DICTION "Crooning"
Starts off with the singer yelling something I can't understand in a real raspy voice. I really like the singer's voice since it matches the raw distorted music. I'd like to hear more from them.

38. FALSE CONFESSION
Nobody seems to know what this song is called, unless it's like a theme song of some sort. An ok song.

39. MANIMALS "Things Under My Bed"
Pretty good mid-paced song with an odd structure. It does like 3 verses before getting to the chorus, then it ends. The chorus is pretty melodic, but I like it.

40. RED CROSS "Pseudo Intellectual"
This song kinda sucks. It's real slow and just kinda sounds like 70's style rock. Not very interesting though.

* I was listening to the comp as I typed this up in order to get some off the cuff opinions down. If anyone knows anything about the bands that I said I don't, please get in touch.

Classic Comps vol. 1- This Is Boston Not L.A.

I've decided to do a new thing here with this blog. Compilations have been an important part of the Hardcore/ Punk scene since the early days before Myspace and internet blogs, when it was much harder to get your music out there. Compilations were generally focused on a certain scene, and when done right, highlighted that scene's best bands. So for your reading pleasure: This is Boston Not L.A.



The origin of the compilation stems from the old Boston Crew of bands like SSD and DYS. There were a bunch of bands who came from a slightly later time after both of those bands became douche bags and wrote shitty rock LPs. They wanted to prove that there were still good bands in Boston, and I believe the record label Modern Method was associated with Newberry Comics in some way as well. I like that this comp has multiple songs by each band for the most part, it's almost like a 7 way split LP. I should also note that this is is sort of a sequel to the Unsafe at Any Speed compilation 7", which featured many of these bands. There was a CD and recent vinyl bootleg that contained both records together.

Jerry's Kids
1. Straight Jacket
2. Uncontrollable
3. Wired
4. Desperate
5. Pressure
6. I Don't Wanna
Damnit if this record doesn't start off right. Straight Jacket is pretty much a textbook definition hardcore song. Short, angry, fast... perfect! The next song Uncontrollable is fucking great too. This definitely catches Jerry's Kids' best; they also went on to do a killer LP called "Is This My World."


Proletariat
7. Options
8. Religion Is the Opium of the Masses
9. Allegiance
This band I'm not too familiar with outside of this comp. I know they have 2 LPs, and Taang did a 2xCD discography for them a few years back. Their sound seems to be UK inspired, and the singer even seems to have an accent. Options is a great song with great lyrics. "Military service/ Factory employment/ Welfare assistance/ Tell me the options."


Groinoids
10. Angel
Aside from this song, I don't think much from them exists aside from a demo. I had read somewhere that some label was releasing the unheard sessions from this recording. It'll probably be awesome. Angel is a pretty good mid paced hardcore song. The lyrics are raw and screamed over somewhat monotone music. Their song Empty Skull on the Unsafe at any Speed comp is great too.


The F.U.'s
11. Preskool Dropout
12. Radio Unix USA
13. Green Beret
14. Time Is Money
The F.U.'s are a great band, but this isn't really their best material. They have the distinguished resume of releasing not one, but 2 great LPs. Kill for Christ is pretty awesome, but My America is definitely my favorite of the 2. This is definitely some early material, but don't write off this band based off these songs. Radio Unix USA is their best on here, and hints at their later speed.

Gang Green
15. Snob
16. Lie Lie
17. I Don't Know
18. Rabies
19. Narrow Mind
20. Kill a Commie
21. Have Fun
In my mind, this is basically Gang Green's discography. These songs are fucking great, but their later stuff was more in line w/ other Boston bands, going in a more rock/metal direction. The band definitely peaked early. Rabies is a classic hardcore song. Not much to it, but it's still awesome. "I have rabies, stay away from me." Kill a Commie was their attempt at a political song, and it rips too.

Decadence
22. Slam
Fuck, I don't know if this band ever even wrote another song, but you don't need to when you write a ripper like this. It's not that fast, it's not complex, it's the same 3 chords throughout the whole song, and the lyrics aren't going to change the world. It's just a song about fucking slam dancing. Interesting fun fact: Mtv used this song in their classic "Santa Claus- the man, the myth, the slam dancer" commercials back in the day.

The Freeze
23. Broken Bones
24. Idiots at Happy Hour
25. Now or Never
26. Sacrifice Not Suicide
27. It's Only Alcohol
28. Trouble If You Hide
29. Time Bomb
30. This Is Boston, Not L.A.
Closing out the comp is the Freeze, who were actually from Cape Cod. The Freeze went on to do a lot of records, some of which are quite good too. There's a few kinda crappy songs in this bunch though like It's Only Alcohol, and Time Bomb. Broken Bones, Trouble if you Hide and Idiots at Happy Hour are all awesome raw punk songs. The comp ends perfectly with the title track, which is a 30 second long thrasher. "You dance the same / you dress the same/ it won’t be long til you are the same/ you look the same/ and act the same/ it’s nothing new and you’re to blame/ this is Boston, not L.A."

epic RECORD REVIEWS post

Damn, between a large trip to Celebrated Summer Records, No Way Fest and going on tour I've accumulated a TON of new records over the past few months. Some killer shit this time around as well. Remember in the last post I said it'd be hard to top the Inmates 7"? Well the Reprobates have unleashed a top contender recently with their debut E.P. Again, I only review somewhat current releases, so about half of my huge stack is being reviewed.
Also, I should mention that my band Wormeaters' In God We Thrust EP is currently out, and we just recorded for another 7". Let's get this party started!!!

7"s:

Reprobates- Stress
Well if you didn't like the Reprobates' demo, you're an idiot. This 7" picks up right where it left off, with the same recording sound quality. It starts off with a slower song, which fires like a shotgun into a full bore hardcore attack. The title track, "Stress" is probably one of the best hardcore songs of the past few years. I'll stick with my comparison from the demo review and say it's like Jerry's Kids meets Genetic Control, but the recording style is really raw. This is probably the best thing No Way has put out in a while, definitely pick this up!


Life Trap- Solitary Confinement
A much anticipated follow up to last year's "Bleak Reality" EP, and damnit does it deliver. Where I think a lot of bands who released good records last year have failed to match their previous efforts, I think Life Trap ups the ante on this bad boy. There's a lot more guitar shredding, and even some backup vocals. Another top contender for best of 08.


Citizens Patrol- Dead Children
Another record by these guys in a relatively short time to coincide with their recent US tour. I liked their first 7", and naturally this sounds pretty similar, so I'm into it. Some of the lyrics are a little weird ("Hamburger Man"?), but English isn't their native language, so maybe cut em a little slack.


Warkrime- Tighten Up
Love em or hate em, this is the last release from Warkrime. Their LP had some weird effects on the vocals, but this one is a lot more like their first 7". More of the same raw snotty Verbal Abuse sounding hardcore punk. R.I.P. or good riddance- you choose.


Dark Ages- s/t
These guys came out of nowhere (well, Kansas City, MO), and dropped off a killer demo which was repressed on vinyl. I had the pleasure of seeing them twice on their tour, and they were killer both times. I really like that the 4 songs are repeated on the B side, so that they're not broken up, and flow like the demo. I'm really looking forward to the next thing these guys do.


Sacred Shock- s/t
Well I was kicking myself for not getting the demo earlier when i got their demo 7", but I made sure to jump on this new record. As you would assume, this new record is fucking KILLER! I really really like this band. The music is similar to fellow Texans Repercussions, but the vocals are a lot less raw and border on the melodic side. This record is fucking great, and it'll be worth your effort to track it down.


Ripping Headache- s/t
Well, RIPPING is a pretty good start to describing this record. I had heard that this was put out by a new label from one of the guys who did Kick N Punch, and that label was always solid so I picked it up. Glad I did, because this definitely has that real raw early 80's feel that a lot of the KnP releases did. They kinda remind me of Cut The Shit, but more raw and chaotic. Solid debut for the band and the label.


Anti You- Johnny Baghdad
They're back again with their 3rd record within a year. This was supposed to come out for their US tour, but no dice. This definitely carries the torch from where their "Pig City Life" EP left off; fast 80's style hardcore with choruses that will drill into your brain. Good stuff, keep it up boys!


Logic Problem- s/t
After a pretty good demo, NC's Logic Problem drop their debut E.P. It's a lot faster than their demo, and I get a heavy Necros vibe here. With a former member of Cross Laws, they follow suit in their early 80's mid-west hardcore influences. Solid 4 song debut EP.


Smart Cops- s/t
Members of La Poivra make up this new band, and I would say they carry the torch well. Smart Cops continues with the rock and roll influenced thrash core style, but I think lacks in some of the guitar work. The lyrics are in Italian, so I don't know what they're saying, though I do like the layout.


Instangd- Mitt Svar Pa Ingenting
A new band from Sweden with members of Regulations/ the Vicious/ ETA/ etc... This band sounds like if Mob 47 was doing a set of The Kids covers. All the lyrics are in Swedish, so I don't know what they're talking about, but the music is good. I was kinda expecting something a little faster like the early ETA stuff, but this is good shit here.


Nightstick Justice- Mindless Violence
I loved their demo 7", and thought their newest 7" was real good too. Apparently this was recorded at the same time as their demo, and damnit if this isn't just as killer. I might be so bold as to say that this is their best record (though I haven't heard their LP yet). Nightstick Justice does it up right with raw recordings, and fast no BS hardcore.


Amoba- En Doende Varld
WOAH! This record is fucking awesome. Sounds like the bastard son of Mob 47 mixed with some Totalitar style rage. Perfect raw recording, and fast Euro-style hardcore. A ripper from start to finish.


Belching Penguin- Demos 1985/1988
Burrito Records continue to hold up their reputation of re-releasing quality obscure bands' material. Belching penguin on the A side (1985 demo) remind me of early DRI; real fast and raw. The B side however is a lot more metal influenced, maybe something like COC or later DRI, and fits in with some early crossover bands. Great band, and I'm glad it's available to the masses. Take a chance on this one.


Volendam Disease- s/t
Fuck, look at the cover-ridiculous. All I knew about this band is that they're from Japan before buying this. Sounds like classic European style hardcore, but played tight as hell, like only the Japanese can do. Don't let that weird cover art turn you off, this is great.


State- Sanctimony
A lot of reviews I've seen of this seem to suggest it's just as good as their classic "No Illusions" Ep from the 80's. Granted I have respect that the State got back together and plays DIY shows, and is releasing new material. However, this is fucking terrible, and is nowhere near as good as their No Illusions EP. Their LP at least had a few good songs, but this is way too slow and boring. I even put it on 45rpm to see if the speed would make a difference and it totally did.


Violent Minds- s/t
Man did I ever blow it by not getting into this band earlier, luckily Deranged Records was nice enough to re-press their first record for me. Thanks! The music is similar to Shark Attack (who they have members of) and Fit For Abuse. Mean angry raw fast simple stripped-down hardcore punk rock.


Threatener- ...And the Bending of Throats
A post-mordam release for these Michigan fastcore masters. I was lucky enough to catch Threatener on their tour back in 2003, and they blew me away (and I think annoyed everyone else). They play a ridiculously fast brand of hardcore much like Hellnation. The recording on here is a lot more blown out sounding than their previous releases, but I think it just adds to the chaos this band created. There's a CD discography out there now that I suggest picking up since the rest of their stuff is out of print.


Sinks- s/t
Members of the Retainers and Formaldehyde Junkies playing even more stripped down a raw garage rock. It boasts to being recorded on a 2 track, but damn it works for them. The music reminds me of Teengenerate, which is obviously a really good thing.


Homostupids- Cat Music
Another record by Ohio's own Homostupids. By now you know what you're getting, real raw messy sounding recordings, rock and roll guitar and probably something that will annoy your co-workers when you blast this on lunch break. Yea, pretty much all those things happen on this record, plus pictures of cats.


the Timebombs- Nuke Everything
I was pleasantly surprised by these guys at No Way Fest, and picked up their new 7". These young kids play some fast old style hardcore punk similar to Socialcide. Occasionally the speed even touches on bands like Koro. I don't know if it's just the pressing I have, but they've made the lyrics impossible to read, which is more annoying than anything.


Bad Antics- The Wave
I liked their first 7", which was California style skate thrash punk. Their new record is in that same style, but a lot faster. There's some cool guitar parts which are almost nardcore-esque, and I think overall they sound similar to Government Warning. If you like a lot of the other Flat Black Records bands, you'll be into this for sure.


Rational Animals- Perception Becomes Reality
I saw these guys a few months ago on their recent tour, and thought they were real good, but probably would like them more live than recorded. I was right, but this still rules. They really remind me of later era Black Flag, except unlike a lot of shitty bands that try to do that, they stick more to Loose Nut era Flag. It also helps that all the members are real good at their instruments. If you're like me and secretly spin Loose Nut and know all the words, this would be a good guilty pleasure.


Retard Strength/ Concrete Facelift
Retard Strength is one of my favorite local bands, and this is their vinyl debut. Unfortunately I think the recording quality is a bit rough, and may turn off some people. RS play a sloppy/raw style of KBD hardcore punk, so it works for them anyway. Concreter Facelift is party of the party thrash scene, which I normally try to stay away from. They do offer up a song about Gator and a cool Faction cover. Overall a solid split, though the cover art may be lacking.


XBrainiaX/ Dead Radical
This one's for the fastcore fans. I have been following XbrainiaX since their beginning since I was a fan of the members' previous bands (I Accuse, Threatener, Knee Deep In Shit). They deliver fast hardcore that sounds similar to bands like No Comment or L'arm. Dead Radical however I was not familiar with before this record, and I would say it's a fairly matched split. DR cram 17 songs on one side, so you can imagine short and fast songs a plenty. There's also some cool start/stop parts to keep in interesting. I love evenly matched splits.

12"s:

Gauze -Binbou Yusuri No Rizumu Ni Notte
Gauze have a new record out... GET IT! I should end the review there, but seriously fucking Gauze. They've never released a bad record, and this is no different. The only thing I don't like is that there's no translations inside the record. I mean this is the US pressing, and I can't read Japanese. Great, Great record nonetheless.


Systematic Death- Systemania Vol. 2
Picking up Where Systemania Vol. 1 left off, this is their later material. It's all killer, so just get both volumes already.


Chronic Seizure- Ancient World
I was a fan of their previous 7"s, but I think this LP really takes it to another level. The production is a lot more solid, similar to the Repos records (whom they shared a member). The lyrics are overall real negative, which is a good thing. If you weren't really enamored with the 7"s, I seriously think this LP takes them to another level. It's really that good.


Bad Reaction- Symptoms of Youth
I was lucky enough the see/ play with these guys like 4 times on their recent tour. Their sound is like if Uniform Choice grew up in Oxnard. Pretty clean sounding recording, but played fast with a lot of sing alongs. I could see this crossing over to youth crew types and hardcores. This record's kinda old, and the new stuff sounds a little faster.


Violent Arrest- s/t
Been sleeping on this for a while, but decided to take a chance since I found it used and had store credit. Glad I did because this is much better than I thought it'd be. Boasting ex-members of Heresy and Ripcord, they have some big shoes to fill. Well, I'm really glad to say that you get what you hoped you would get! I wish all bands who boast impressive resumes lived up to expectations like this one did.


Gulag- Nadia Cambia
I had found this on a blog and didn't think I'd ever find it on vinyl since it came out in Spain, and there were less than 500 pressed. Luckily the Extreme Noise used bin came though! Raw and heavy fast hardcore similar to bands like Repercussions and Deathreat played by ex-members of E150 (who sounded a lot like Los Crudos). Raw and powerful stuff here. If you are lucky enough to find it, do yourself a favor and pick it up. All the lyrics are in Spanish, but my years of Spanish classes is finally coming in handy, and I can actually understand most of it.


Dissystema- The Silent Earth
This record finally comes out! Philly's Motor-Charge delivers their newest and I'd say best record. All the elements of a great D-Beat/Crust record are all here. Fist pumping gang vocals, distorted bass, lots of cymbals, solos to do spirit fingers to and the obligatory songs about war. The vocals alternate between 3 singers, which adds a lot of variety. Oh and I should mention in "Lust For War" they take the line from the movie 300, "Tonight We Dine in Hell" and make it punk. Fuck You Hollywood!

Demos
Male Nurses(cassette)
Male Nurses is a brand new band from MA who play a raw early 80's style of hardcore punk. They were probably one of the better bands we played with on tour. The recording a really raw, but they make it work. Similar to modern bands like the No Way crew (especially Life Trap). There's even a cover of "Dear Sirs" by Koro, though it's hard to top Deathreat's version of that song. Cassette demos always get high marks in my book.

Shit Fit(cdr)
Probably my favorite new bands from New Brunswick, NJ (where I'm from). There's some good alternating vocals between a more straightforward sounding singer and more horse strained singer. The music is pretty no frills thrash similar to Charles Bronson and Limp Wrist, but with some heavier parts like SSD. I look forward to seeing these guys more.

Stressed Out(cdr)
Another new local band, which is always nice to see. The music is pretty thrashy, but more in an Anthrax kinda way. It's not really metal at all, but there's definitely some crossover parts. The vocals are remind me of Life's Halt though, but the lyrics are a little on the goofy side.

BA Pariah(cdr)
Yet another new local band's demo to review. Woo Hoo! These guys play punk that sounds basically like the Minutemen on crack. Reminds me a lot of fellow NJ punks, the Bloodreds. Pretty good, and definitely different from most of the stuff around here.

At The Movies (summer blockbuster edition)

First of all, welcome to the 100th post! Secondly, if you haven't left your house recently, you've been missing out on some killer flicks. I'm glad that with today's movie making technology we can get some good comic book movies finally. Iron Man, Hellboy 2 and the Dark Knight were all great!

Iron Man kicked the summer movie season off the right way. I was a little skeptical since I honestly don't think I even own any Iron Man comics. I kinda figured it'd just be a good action movie w/ big explosions and special effects. And it did have all those elements, but it was an extremely well done movie behind all that. Some friends of mine described it as the best comic book movie, and it certainly ranks up there. Robert Downey Jr. is perfect to play the cocky drunk Tony Stark (go figure). Marvel now has their own production studio, so I have big hopes that they'll make some more quality movies based off their characters. Amazing post-credits scene.
I was surprised to see Hellboy 1, but the fact that they made a Hellboy 2 is amazing. Such a great comic book, and with the success of Pan's Labyrinth, Del Toro pretty much is able to do whatever he wants. Thank god, because Hellboy 2 was possibly better than the first one. While the movie didn't follow any comic book, it had the same fairy tale/ legends style story line. The movie was also much more funny, with some Men in Black style moments. Die hards will love it.
Dark Knight had some big shoes to fill being Heath Ledger's last movie, but holy crap did it deliver. Heath Ledger was perfect as the Joker, he played him so dark and maniacal. The Joker is Batman's primary villain, so it was nice to see him in the second movie so they didn't have to waste time on an origin story. I always hated the original Batman series, even as a kid I thought it was lame and cheesy. These more recent Batmans however have taken cues from classic Batman stories such as Year One and the Long Halloween. I really like what they did with Two Face also; his makeup wasn't stupid like the Tommy Lee Jones Two Face either. Overall another solid movie, which might bas as bold as say it was better than the first one.

As far as non-comic related movies I saw this summer... Wall-E, the new Pixar movie was cool. There was a kinda lame love story and a thinly veiled political agenda. It was kinda like watching an animated Michael Moore movie at times. Overall though it was pretty good. Had the typical Pixar cuteness and ridiculously good animation and art.
I also caught Step Brothers one day when my job let us out early and I had some time to kill before a show in Philly. The concept and everything is obviously stupid, but it was a damn funny way to kill time. If you like Will Ferrel and John C Reilley movies, this is one of the better ones I thought. Real low brow humor, but sooo good.

On a side note, they showed a trailer for the new Watchmen movie before Batman. I didn't want to like it, but it honestly looks fucking great. A trailer for the new Wolverine movie also leaked to the internet recently also, and that looks great too!

wreck chord rev yooz (record reviews)

I started writing this before No Way Fest, and just got busy with everything. Since organizing this reviews post, I now have a new stack. What better way to spend one of the nicest days this summer staying inside and listening to hardcore records...

7"s:

Double Negative- Raw Energy
Following last year's monstrous LP, this is their new EP. Production wise, it's a lot more raw sounding than the LP. Hell "raw" is right there in the title. The A side has a lot of weird echoes and overdubs, but the 2 songs on the B side are killer. I think I liked the LP more, but this some ripping shit here. The packaging on here is top notch as well, and the price was the same as a normal 7" (unlike those stupid Youth Attack releases).


Inmates- Now We Talkin Hardcore!
Sorry every other band, The Inmates are fucking back! Almost 10 years since releasing their already classic LP, here's the follow up EP. What more could you want but fast, weird, annoying Clevo-style HARDCORE. They clearly don't take themselves seriously, but they ain't no joke band. Gonna be hard to top this record for the best of '08.


Deep Sleep- Manic Euphoria
I was really into the first Deep Sleep 7", so I was glad to see they had a new record coming, and that the lineup now featured 1/2 of the Spark. I was expecting it to be a bit faster than the last record, but I think a lot of it is a bit slower. Not in a bad way at all, more in a Descendents/All type sense. Not Pop-punk at all, but I could see it appealing to that crowd as well as the punks.


Nightstick Justice- Claustrophobic
I really liked their demo 7", and I think that musically it fits the same sound. On this record however, the vocals sound more distorted, which makes it sound a lot like Look Back and Laugh. I suppose it gives it a harder edge, which is obviously a good thing. They have an LP and another 7" out that I need to get (you should too).



Search + Destroy- s/t
I honestly knew nothing about these guys before picking this up. I had some credit at my local record store, and the cover art seemed cool, and I had seen it in some distros. What a pleasant surprise I got. S+D play hardcore punk in a Germs style thats fast and snotty. Don't let the 3 dicks on the cover turn you off.


Sex Vid- Nests
This band seems to be real hyped, so I figured I'd check out their newest effort. I thought the Tania 7" was ok, not bad-but not mind blowing. I honestly think the other stuff I've heard by them is a lot better. Their style is heavily influenced by bends like Void/Die Kreuzen and Born Against, but I think there are other current bands that do it better. Maybe I'm being too harsh since they're hyped up, but they're a million times better than Fucked Up, who were way hyped a year or so ago.


Total Abuse- Demo 06
If you're a chump (like me) and missed out on the demo tape, here's your chance to redeem yourself. This record is killer. The recordings are obviously more raw than the Sex Pig EP, but the songs are just as good. Fans of Deep Wound and hyper fast early 80's HC should already own this.


Born Bad- Moron Music
Another band I took a chance on, and wound up pleasantly surprised. Born Bad plays heavy fast hardcore. The vocals remind me a bit of Deathreat, and they have a sound similar to Wasted Time.


Insomnio- Walking on the String
I really liked this record; it reminds me of the Zero Boys. The production has a real late 70's rock influenced punk sound. Real mid paced, but catchy.


Human Mess- s/t
VERY Germs sounding punk rock from these guys. Solid first release, with a real raw sound. It's got a dirty and lo-fi recording, like I said... very Germs sounding. Pretty good stuff, they've got an LP coming soon too.


Jean Mills Society Torch- Start Tomorrow
Apparently recorded back in 2005, and finally released now, I've never really heard of this band. It features members of some of the better MD bands of the past few years, but sounds faster than anything. Reminds me of the early 2000's 625 releases mixed with a Tear It Up type sound. It's too fast for the thrash scene, but definitely not falling into the grind/power violence scene. Not too bad, would have probably ripped live though.


Zhenia Golov- s/t
Local New Brunswick, NJ thrashers unleash their first proper release. They've gotten a lot better than their demo last year. Their sound is probably best described as crust influenced thrash. Too crusty for the thrashers, too thrashy for the crusties. I'd like to see a little more D-beat to the drums next time around. I hear hints of NJ bands' past like NB staples, the Degenerics/ Fanshen even a little Tear It Up. The lyrics are very politically based, but don't come off as condescending.


V/A- Sick of Fun
Compilations these days are pretty sparse, especially a 7" comp w/ a ton of ripping bands. I was half expecting this to be similar to the old Slap A Ham Bleeeargh comps, where a bunch of good bands throw 45 throw away songs on a 7". Not the case, there's bunch of bands, but it flows nicely. Standouts include the obvious bands like Socialcide, Reprobates, Broken Needle, and No Thanks contribute their classic "Are You Ready to Die." My main gripe is that the order of bands on the back cover and in the insert aren't in the correct order. Also the font used on the cover makes it look like "SILK of Fun."

12"

The Darvocets- Are New Wave
They're back! If you haven't heard the Darvocets before, they play punk in a style similar to the Crucifucks (weird), and have lyrics about UFOs and government conspiracies. So yea, they rule. This record definitely ups the weird level, and probably not the best for newcomers. They play a heavily KBD influenced mid paced punk sound, and add parts where it's just vocals and finger snaps. Idiots won't get it, but this rules.


Straight Jacket Nation- s/t
Holy shit, I didn't know what to expect with this band. What I had heard online was killer, so I was stoked to see them twice on their recent tour. This LP is great. Real fast and raw hardcore in a similar style to 9 Shocks Terror, H-100's and all associated bands. Probably the best band from Australia currently.


Systematic Death- Systemania Vol. 1
I was lucky enough to get to see Systematic Death when they came to America and did a few shows. Needless to say they were fucking great. For those not in the know, SD was a classic Japanese hardcore band from the early 80's. Last year a Japanese label released 2 2xCD discography CDs, which were re-pressed as 2 2xLP records in time for this short tour. I was only able to pick up the first volume, but hopefully these show up in distros soon. The first Vol of Systemania is more for the die hard fans. It features demos and early comp tracks. The layout is a gate fold with tons of pictures, flyers and scans of the original releases. Vol. 2 I assume would be all their classic studio material, so if you're new to SD, go for that first.


Unseen Force- In Search of the Truth
CLASSIC 80's hardcore from VA reissued by the fine folks at No Way Records. Members of this band were ex- White Cross and 2000 Maniacs (whose 7" I just picked up), so you know you're getting the real deal here. I've been a big fan of this record since getting mp3s of it a few years ago, so I'm glad to see it getting the vinyl treatment. If you're a fan of some of the older VA bands (Honor Role, White Cross), or current VA bands (Direct Control especially), you're gonna love this.


Burial- Never Give Up...Never Give In
Pretty charging hardcore punk here, you'd swear they're from Japan, but nope... Germany! Great guitar riffage, and strained vocals give a real traditional Japanese style of hardcore sound. Definitely sound a lot like Tragedy, but without the stupid piano and violin interludes.


Insomnio- No Escape
I liked the 7", so I picked this bad boy up as well. The music stays true tot he 7" (since this pre-dates it), and the production is really raw. This has a Dead Boys quality to it, of a real pre-hardcore punk sound. The record closes with a cover of the Stooges' "Search and Destroy," wish I think loses a little bit with the foreign accent.


Disfear- Live the Storm
Disfear's back again with another anthemic crust/punk influenced metal record. I'm normally not into anything like this, but these guys know how to fucking play. They play a style of D-beat with a real clean production. When they played in Philly recently, the singer was doing a lot of Bruce Dickinson style moves on stage.. it ruled. Songs like "Get It Off" and "Testament" will be stuck in your head and get your fist pumping.


*no demos this time around, but I figured I'd give a plug for myself. My band, SPG has a new demo that we finished in March. first batch of 100 are almost gone, and a new batch of blanks are on the way. Reviews have been good so far; I've been told it sounds like Discharge meets Jerry's Kids.*

oh hey, more record reviews

HOLY SHIT, Hardcore still rules. We're only barely 3 months into the new year, and there's already a hand full of amazing releases. Here's what I've been wasting my money on lately...

7"s:

Acid Reflux- Secret Power
The follow up to their awesome demo 7" seems a bit short in comparison. There's only 4 songs and a hidden dub song at the end, which I would've gladly traded for another song. The songs are still quirky and simplistic in the best possible way. The opening song, "Paid to Ruin Fun" is a real ripper. I like it, but I want more.


Social Circkle- I've Got Afflictions
Social Circkle's 2nd 7" follows the trend of their previous releases, despite a member change. I like their style of real mid paced punk. It has a real late 70's UK style to it. The new stuff may be a little bit faster though, but the hooks are just as catchy.


Repercussions- No Peace
After the crushing LP that Repercussions unleashed on us last year, I was really looking forward to this new 7". This record has everything I loved about the LP. The songs are fast, heavy and raw. The songs may be a little shorter, but if you liked the 12" (and I don't know why you wouldn't), get this.


Sacred Shock- Demo
I missed out on the demo tape version of this, but luckily someone was smart enough to re-press this on vinyl. Sacred Shock is basically 3/4 of Army of Jesus, and picks up where that band left off. I like Sacred Shock a lot more though, and the vocalist has a real cool style. The singing is almost melodic at times, but the music is raw and fast. This one's an import, but really worth your time to track down. Looking forward to a new record soon.


Bad Antics- s/t
Bad Antics play a style of hardcore punk similar to bands from the 80's like Adolescents and JFA. This record reminds me a lot of the Rabies 7"- Pretty good stuff.


Needles- s/t
FUCK! I had read about these guys in MRR recently, and the ex-Talk is Poison/Los Crudos members caught my eye. When I heard they had a 7" out already, I tried to track it down. A local shitty over-priced record store by me actually had a copy. So last Friday I went out in the snow to get my copy. Fuck, was it ever worth it. Martin's voice sounds more harsh than it ever has, and the music is real fast and powerful. Sounds real similar to Look Back and Laugh (no surprise there), and rages from start to finish. Hands down one of my favorite records this year so far.


Civic Progress- Disposable
Civic Progress is back already with a new record. The recording is a lot more raw than the last record (which is a good thing), they even re-record some of the demo tracks that were left off the Petroleum Man 7". The cover art is real minimal, and is just a stamped dust sleeve with an insert. This really captures their sound a lot better I think. Smart lyrics with fast hardcore punk to back it up.


Anti You- Making Your Life Miserable
My chief complaint with their 1 sided 7" was that it was only 1 sided. This record reprints their first CD on vinyl, and it's killer. I was luckily enough to see them twice on their recent US tour, and they definitely didn't disappoint. If you liked the other record, you'll obviously like this too.


Criminal Intent- s/t
Pretty good debut from this Canadian band. They remind me a lot of Urban Waste, and the cover art kinda reminds me of the Abused. The paper the cover is printed on is slightly off white, so it looks like aged paper. Fans of the early 80's NYHC scene and fast dirty old styled HC will be into this.

12"s:

Under Pressure- Black Bile
The latest release by this Canadian powerhouse. They play a brand of hardcore that is dark and heavy, but fast. Similar in a way to Poison Idea's fast/heavy riffage. Real good rock leads with a heavy rhythm.


BGK- A Dutch Feast
This is a double LP discography release of BGK's releases from the 80's. This Dutch band knew how to fucking play. Imagine MDC, but faster. Unlike a lot of foreign bands that too a lot of cues from Discharge, these guys took more cues from the stripped down American style.


Brain Handle- s/t
I liked Brain Handle's previous 7"s, they had a Black Flag quality to them (both early and later sounds). This new LP seems to take more cues from the later heavier Black Flag sound though. I like the way this band balances the fast parts along with their heavier parts. There's a lot of real good guitar work going on here also. Would probably appeal to fans of the No Way catalog as well as fans of Annihilation Time type stuff.


the State- All Wrong
I know this came out a while back, but I just got it, suck it. Damn, didn't think you'd see a new LP by the State. I knew they had started playing again, and were a real band again (not just a series of lame reunions). It's cool that they're a functional band again, but this LP come nowhere near as close to the magnitude of their 80's 7".

V/A- Battle For the Worst Bands
This LP compiles the first Cider 7", the Darvocets 7", the Ruiners 7" and the Brainwashed Youth demo. All 4 bands released records at various points in the 90's and shared members. The Brainwashed Youth demo is great, "Piss Them Off is a classic. I think this is the Darvocets' best material, "Do the Crop Circle" and their Authorities cover ruled. I kind of like Cider's second EP better, but this stuff is great. Ruiners stuff I wasn't too familiar with, but was a welcome surprise. If you're into any of these bands, or their current projects, you need to check this out. It's like Dischord's 4 7"s on a 12", but for the 90's Cleveland scene.

Demos:
Religious SS Disorder- Demo #2
I like RSSD's 2nd demo better than their first. They play the songs a lot tighter, and the guitar tone is a lot better. Their style is similar to bands like Crass and Blatz, so it's kinda mid paced and weird. A lot of the songs are about pills and medicine, which is kinda odd. I personally never really listen to Crass or Blatz, but if you're into that sort of thing, you'll like it.


*I know I've stated this before, but I do reviews of stuff I buy, which would account for the lack of diversity in some people's eyes. Get me on a free promo release list if you want diversity. This is what I buy because it's what I like, fuck off.

Comics

I've been real busy with a lot of stuff lately, so I haven't made as many posts as I'd like. I haven't done something not related to hardcore/punk in a while. Before I was into hardcore, I was a comic book nerd. While I still enjoy comics, my main collecting has been through graphic novels. While I was working at a book store, I accumulated a bunch of cool graphic novels. I tracked down the "classics" of the genre (Sin City, V for Vendetta, Watchmen...), and checked out some of the newer hyped books (Exiles, Supreme Power...). I mainly always stick to Marvel titles; New Mutants, X-men and Spider-Man in particular. I also got into stuff like Hellboy, Runaways and Y: the Last Man thanks to my local library heavily stocking their "young adult" section with graphic novels.
So, what sparked my recent resurgence into the world of comics is that every Wednesday, people I work with all go to a comic shop near work. I had previously maybe went to a shop every 6 months or so. Here's what I've been reading lately...

Y: the Last Man- This book I got into through trades. The last issue just came out, and it was probably the best way to end the comic. The story is of a plague that wipes out every man from the earth, leaving only Yorick, his monkey and a planet full of women. The last issue takes place in the future with Yorick telling stories to a clone of himself about what happened after the main storyline ended. An epilogue of sorts. I hear that the book is in the development stages to be made into a series of movies. I'm not really a fan of a lot of the comic movies coming out, but this would be one to look out for.

Madman- I was surprised to see that Madman was back, and it's really good. I've been a fan of Mike Allred's work (Madman, Atomics, X-Force) for a while, and it's good to see Madman back. The latest story revolves around the main character essentially dying, and struggling to find his way back. Madman was a part of the indie comics boom in the 90's, but stood out among a lot of mediocre crap.

Scud- Another great comic from the 90's returns. Scud is probably my favorite comic book ever. It is about a robotic assassin who is supposed to self destruct once it kills its target. This Scud however decides to just cripple his target, and take up freelance assassin gigs to pay the hospital bills. Scud ended in 1998 with a huge cliffhanger, now 10 years later it returns for 4 more issues to wrap up the series. I'm extremely excited, and the first issue back actually progresses the story 10 years. The creator of Scud went on to do some great things in Hollywood (Monster House, Sarah Silverman Show), and thanks to the writers strike was able to finish this. There will be a huge collected trade once all 4 new issues wrap up. I couldn't recommend a comic any more than I can with Scud.

Runaways- Another comic series that I got into through the trades. The story is about a group of children who find out that their children are super villains. Only one of the children in the group have superpowers, though one child has a pet raptor. The kids have to rely on their own resources to outsmart their parents, and strike out to make up for their bad deeds. It has a youthful charm, which reminds me of the New Mutants.

Manchild- This comic only exists in a series of graphic novels. The illustrator/ writer is somewhat known in the HC/Punk community for doing art for some classic records, and playing drums in Double Negative. The comic strips are humorous observations and stories. A lot of the subject matter is HC/Punk related, but is humorous and pokes fun at people without being condescending. The most recent graphic novel comes with a bonus CD of a Melvins demo from 1987.

Exiles- Exiles also just published its last issue, followed by a relaunch soon after. The back story is a cross between X-Men and Quantum Leap, with superheroes traveling to different time periods to fix their own time lines. The series started out strong, then got weak once Chuck Austen took over, then got better later on, then got re-crappy. I think it really suffered when Marvel did the Age of Apocalypse and House of M crossovers. Maybe it was just me who had no interest in it.

Spider-Man- You know Spider-Man, and you know his story. The most recent "One More Day" storyline really fucked up good. Aunt May gets shot, and is going to die (finally!). But in order to save his Aunt, Peter Parker makes a deal w/ Mephisto that if he makes it so Peter and MJ never got together, Aunt May would survive. This basically relaunches all the Spider-Man books, and re-writes history. I'm sorry, but this just doesn't make any sense. Has Marvel forgot the Spider Clone disaster?

TIFY and record reviews

The majority of these records were acquired at This is For You Fest in beautiful Daytona Beach, FL. I went down for a week to visit Annie, and check out the fest. Thanks to everyone who snagged a poster, and thanks to Annie for helping me sell them. Highlights of the fest included: the Blank Stare/Sick Fix/Coke Bust straight edge trifecta, Let Down covering Failure Face w/ Bob singing, the crotch of Nico from Life Trap's pants tearing apart during their first song, seeing old friends/ meeting new friends. See you next year...

7":

Die Kreuzen- Cows and Beer
Classic midwest hardcore finally gets a proper reissue. It's weird to review it since I've had these songs for years, but the quality of this is superior to any bootleg. The cover art and the insert look authentic. Maybe a hybrid of Negative Approach and Void. This 7" is killer; I hope someone re-releases their LP too. This is great for anyone like me who's been listening to Die Kreuzen boots and mp3s, and people wanting to dig deeper into classic early 80's hardcore punk.



Coke Bust- Demo 7"
Coke Bust- Fuck Bar Culture
I wasn't expecting much with a name like Coke Bust, but this is actually pretty damn good. The demo has some youth crew styled sing a longs, but the music is much more fast thrash influenced. The newest record is a lot more like bands like Ripcord and Heresy. They stray from the trappings of the thrash beats that a lot of bands rely on, and make something that's actually interesting. 1/2 of them are in Sick Fix, so if you're into them, I assume you'd like this as well. A lot of the lyrics deal with topics of straight edge, but I think even edge breakers will find something good in this band.


Under Pressure- Habits
I think this is an older release of theirs, but I'd been meaning to check out this band for a while. They have a heaviness to them that's also pretty punk sounding. Think maybe Poison Idea's force crossed with the Wipers' catchy hooks. This is real good, now I'm real bummed that I missed seeing them over the summer. I just bought their new LP, but they've got a bunch of others I need to catch up on.


Homostupids- The Glow
I'm really glad that I gave the Homostupids another chance after that "Brutal Birthday" 7" was kinda a let down. The songs on here have a lot more structure, and have a real blown out garage sound. The sleeve is real minimal also with no credits or track listing anywhere. This shit rules, I need to get their other records now!


Dangerloves- Lipsmart b/w So This is Love
Usually the type of stuff I tend to stay away from, but the record label putting it out (Fashionable Idiots) and the ex-member cred (Career Suicide, Terminal State, Bayonettes, Urban Blight) made me take notice. This is nothing like the typical Toronto old hardcore punk throwback band, this is straight up power-pop. This is really cool, and almost has an old girl group sound (female singer, so yea). If you're into stuff like Knugen Faller or the Unloveables maybe, check it out.


Cult Ritual- s/t
This was a welcome surprise. When I hear that a band has a Black Flag sound, they usually let me down. Cult Ritual however weren't lying. The songs have a real raw later era Flag sound (My War, Slip It in), but is a lot faster and maybe even better. There's a heaviness, but it's still firmly rooted in hardcore punk. I even get a Poison Idea and Siege vibe here.


Bleach Boys- Puke Wave
The Bleach Boys play instrumental surf punk. Sounds cool right? The songs sound like Agent Orange and JFA, but have no lyrics. I don't know if I'd prefer if they weren't instrumental, but this is pretty cool. The production is real fuzzy, and soaked in reverb. I'd love to hear them use a hollow body guitar next time.


Surroundings- Monuments in Ruins
I've seen these guys a few times, and thought they were cool. They have a similar heavy vibe that Pulling Teeth have that's metal w/ punk leanings. I can hear a heavy His Hero is Gone influence here, but with some slow moshy parts.


Republicorpse- To The Dome
Republicorpse play a hardcore/grindcore style. It's pretty fast and heavy, but not really my thing. It's not bad at all, but after going through a huge stack of recent purchases, it doesn't stand out. It does have a cool screened cover, and come w/ a CDr of the 7" (which is nice of them).


Disclose/ Framtid- Chainsawsplit '04
Apparently I snagged the last copy of this bad boy. This is some raw distorted Japanese D-Beat. Obviously you know Disclose, who are probably one of the best Discharge rip offs out there. Framtid is somewhat new, but probably one of the better new Japanese bands I've heard. The vocals are real harsh, and the music's raw. Not for the weak.


A.N.S./ Seasick- Billy in a Bearsuit
I thought this record would be a bit off balance, but it actually flows pretty well together. ANS's recent releases have been reflecting a heavier later era black flag sound, as opposed to the fast skate thrash they did before. Seasick's side sounds a lot more raw (which is a good thing), and gives their songs a lot more bite than on their previous record, "Awakenings." I wish the lyrics sheet wasn't handwritten, so it would be somewhat legible. On as side note, the 7" comes w/ a coupon for a free digital download of the record. A pretty cool idea that I hope will catch on.


Shitstorm/ the Gentle Art of Chokin
Both play what I guess would be described as Grindcore. Real fast and heavy with metallic parts. I'm not too wild about the genre itself, but I think Shitstorm was the standout of the 2 bands.

12":

No Thanks- Are You Ready to Die?
About fucking time! Absolutely classic early 80's NYHC finally gets a real reissue. This contains their 7", demo and a live set. No Thanks was a hardcore band that was from the time period before shitty bands like the Cro Mags, later era Agnostic Front and tough guy garbage dominated the NY scene. Female fronted raw fast punk that needs to be heard. BUY THIS!


Out Cold- Goodbye Cruel World
This came out a while ago, but I picked it up recently. Out Cold has been around for a long time, and unlike most hardcore bands that stick around for a while, they still have yet to release a bad album. I would even be so bold as to say this is one of their best. They keep to the sound of bands from the 90's that were heavily influenced by the early 80's hardcore sound, similar to Voorhees and Fit For Abuse, except they kept at it. They've even got a few new records coming soon; hope they never stop.


Pulling Teeth- Martyr Immortal
On Pulling Teeth's newest record, they keep close in line to their previous record, "Vicious Skin," down to the recording quality and even the artwork. What I've always liked about Pulling Teeth is that the music is heavy, but the vocals don't have that Cookie Monster growl to them. If you're not familiar with them, they've got a heavy Left For Dead influence (obviously since they're named after one of their songs), of metallic soaked hardcore. Where the majority of that genre fails, Pullign Teeth stick to short songs (all songs under 3 minutes, most barely 2) and to the point lyrics. They're definitely one of those bands that can appeal to various crowds, and tour all the fucking time. Keep it up.


A.N.S.- The Process of Stoking Out
Since the last LP, ANS has moved away from the Nardcore worship to later era Flag worship. Still has longish (for a punk band) songs with leads. I guess now the leads are less surfy and more 70's rock. Does that make sense? probably not. Either way, it's still thrashy as hell, but the sound's beefed up a bit.


Weekend Nachos- Punish and Destroy
Better than you'd assume a band called "Weekend Nachos" would be. Weekend Nachos almost sound like a band name that a ska band in high school would haven. Luckily, they sound nothing like that. They play some heavy punishing hardcore in the same style as Neanderthal or Lack of Interest. Real heavy, but not metallic. Recorded as a 2 piece, but I think they're a full band now.


Get Rad- Say Fuck No To Rules, Man
Despite the silly name, silly cover art and silly title; this record's actually not too shabby. The music structure is pretty youth crew posi-core sounding, but the playing style is distorted and fast. I can see these guys appealing to a crowd at a Modern Life Is War show, as well as a Municipal Waste/Rambo type crowd. Surprisingly enjoyable I would say...

CD:

Ruiner- Prepare to be Let Down
Ruiner's long awaited follow up to their 7" from 2005. Understandably it sounds a little different, due to 2 years of constant touring and a drummer change. The music is a bit heavier, and the production is pretty clean, but heavy at the same time. Ruiner's got that modern melodic hardcore sound down. Normally I hate that sound, but Ruiner plays it so damn tight that it rules.


In Defence- Don't Know How to Break Dance
I actually like this more than their GNRP split. Basically it sounds like thrashy hardcore dudes playing music that's more like the early Rev catalog. There's no lyrics included, but they don't seem very serious. The music on the other hand has some serious late 80's style mosh parts. Definitely seems to straddle the line between 80's sXe hardcore and early 00's thrash.


Flash Attacks- Pray for Death
This was recorded before their 7" that I reviewed recently, despite being released after it. This was previously only a CDr demo, but was recently pressed of CD and LP by the band. This is much more straight up crust core sounding than their 7", and doesn't have as many heavy Sabbath-y parts. My crust knowledge is limited, so I won't try to compare it to any bands, and just say it's fucking punk rock man.


Killing the Dream- In Place, Apart
I wasn't too into this band, not that it's not good- just not my style. They play modern/melodic hardcore not unlike Modern Life is War or Ruiner. The cover art is really impressive though.

demos/ cassettes
Reprobates
These guys got their demo in just under the wire to make my top 5 demos of '07, but I didn't get a chance to review it yet. Hot Damn, these Toronto dudes play the 80's throwback hardcore thing a lot better than some of their fellow Canadians. Their sound is much more along the lines of Jerry's Kids. These 5 songs leave you wanting 5 more. The production's real raw, like real hardcore should sound. Keep an eye on this band!

Vile Nation
This is Vile Nation's 2nd demo, which will most likely be their new 7". They've come a long way since their last demo, and have contained the chaotic sound they had before. This reminds me of the Neos with the crazed drums, and fast riffs. They share a guitarist w/ Life Trap, which I only mention to motivate people to check them out.

Cult Ritual
I reviewed their 7" above, but the demo is real cool too. Pretty much the same sound, but more raw and wild. They do an awesome cover of "Nausea" by X that I like more than the original (call me crazy). the B side is a long dirge, similar the the B side of the Siege LP. It's got sound samples and violins and shit, but it's real good.

Judas
This is the tape version of their new 7", which seemed to sell out fast at the fest. They play some real heavy slow hardcore, that's kind of a mix between heavy power violence and Black Sabbath. Pretty good but has some metal parts that don't really do anything for me.

I Hate This
The first side of this tape contains 4 tracks which will be used on their 2 new split 7"s. The second side is basically a re-pressing of their first demo. Since then they've added a bass player, which I think really rounds out the sound well. Their sound is similar to Sick Fix with the screaming female vocals, but the music is a lot more fast and thrashy.

*I'm really stoked that I got a lot of cassette tapes, some people still enjoy this obsolete format*

Best of 2007 and some reviews

I felt that I should augment the annual "best of" post with some reviews of recent record purchases. I added a best demos category this year, and got rid of comps. A lot of the great demos from last year got re-pressed or re-recorded on vinyl recently (Socialcide, Sick Fix, Total Abuse, Civic Progress). What weighs heavily on my decisions is when bands surprise me with an awesome first release or by overshadowing their previous releases.

Best 7"s of 2007

1. Life Trap- Bleak Reality
2. Wasted Time- No Shore
3. Episode- s/t
4. Government Warning- Arrested
5. Socialcide- Burn in Hell, Bundy
It was a tough choice for the #1 spot, but I went w/ Life Trap just because that record came out of nowhere and hits you like a ton of bricks. Wasted Time's 2nd 7" is even better than their first, and I mean I loved the first, but holy shit does this rule. Episode's another band that came out of nowhere (actually the same "nowhere" that Life Trap does), and just released an amazing 7" w/o playing a show or anything. Government Warning's follow up to their LP is a good one, but some of the songs lack the pure catchiness of their LP. Socialcide followed up their awesome demo with an equally awesome 7". It should be noted that 3 of the bands are from VA and the other 2 are from TN, and all but Episode played No Way Fest. The south shall rise again!

Best 12"s of 2007

1. Double Negative- The Wonderful and Frightening World of...
2. Repercussions- 11 Song EP
3. The Vicious- Alienated
4. Criminal Damage- No Solution
5. Severed Head of State- Power Hazard
The best LP was a no brainer, and I knew nothing could possibly top the Double Negative LP after first listening to it. They went from demo to LP, and shocked everyone outside of the North Carolina area. Repercussions also came out of nowhere with a raging hard fast LP, and then disappeared. Hopefully they'll tour or something eventually, because this LP is just too good. The Vicious LP squeaked in the last week of December last year, but I'm counting them for this year. Super catchy early 80's sounding punk, and I'm glad I caught them 3 times on their tour (and am bummed they broke up). Criminal Damage followed up last year's awesome LP with a newer equally awesome LP. It lacks some of the hooks of the first LP, but is still great. Severed Head of State has been getting better with each release. This LP is their most recent output, and it's no different to that trend.

Best Demos of 2007
1. Civic Progress
2. Guilty Faces
3. Reprobates
4. Bad Advice
5. Kanamits
Not too many great demos, but these really stood out and I look forward to more. Civic Progress surprised a lot of people at No Way Fest, and rightfully so. Their demo is raw, fast and they actually have something good to say. Guilty Faces rose from the ashes of Ratbyte, and have a real early 80's California sound. The Reprobates demo squeaked in at the last minute, playing awesome hardcore punk from Toronto. Bad Advice's demo came out at No Way Fest, but unfortunately most people missed them. It's real cool, and I'm looking forward to more from them. The Kanamits were a local band, and their second demo was being recorded for a 7" that will never be released. I may be a tad biased on this, but I loved this band. Annoy one of the members and get them to send it to you.

7"

V/A- No Bullshit Vol. 3
If for some reason you've been sleeping on the No Bullshit comp series, get your head out from under a rock. The third volume most definitely does not disappoint. It kicks off w/ a new one from Life Trap, and damn is it a rager. I would almost say it's got some melodic elements to it, but still keeps the speed and anger of their awesome 7". I've probably listened to this song more than the rest. Socialcide's contribution sounds a lot noisier and chaotic than some of their other stuff. Double Negative's song also sounds a lot more stripped down than their LP stuff, but is still great. I always forget how awesome Out Cold is, and all these years later, they're still kicking ass; their song is great. Acid Reflux contributes the song from their demo tape that was missing from their 7", so of course it's great. Chronic Seizure closes it out w/ more of the same fast old sounding hardcore punk rock. If you're not familiar w/ the bands from their previous releases, this will introduce you to some new great bands. If like me, you were already into these bands, then this will just give you more to listen to.


Citizens Patrol- Sick Routine
Citizens Patrol are from the Netherlands, and they play real fast old style HC similar to modern bands like Civic Progress and Nightstick Justice. I had downloaded their demo a while back, and really liked it, and this record has a lot of those songs re-recorded. Good stuff, you know you'll like it.


Anti You- Pig City Life
Good stuff from this Italian hardcore punk band. My only gripe is that there's only one side to this record, but they're able to cram a bunch of songs and a Discharge cover. The Discharge cover is real cool because it's not done in the traditional D-Beat sorta way, and is much faster. Musically it's like if the Circle Jerks were faster and meaner sounding.


The Bloodreds- Mister Mess
I got this at one of their shows and enjoyed it, then put it back in my stack of records. I recently gave it another spin, and it hasn't left my record player all week. The songs are catchy and poppy, but have a lot more balls to them than any pop-punk bands. I saw them w/ Ringers, and I suppose that'd be a good comparison. Street punk influenced melodic punk, which would appeal to fans of Cocksparrer and No Hope For The Kids. Awesome!


the Flash Attacks- Revenge of the Fruitflies
I was pleasantly surprised by this NJ band also. The cover art is really cool and brightly colored, but the music is dark and heavy. Musically, I'd say a mix between Discharge, later Poison Idea and some Sabbath heaviness. I found myself humming "Revenge of the Fruitflies" the other day, which is always the mark of a solid record.


In Defense / Guns N Rosa Parks
I found this in a used bin recently. I had been meaning to check out In Defence, and Runs N Rosa Parks is a pretty cool name. Musically In Defence plays really good sounding youth crew influenced thrash. It's the cool sing-a-longs and breakdowns, but the lyrics leave a bit to be desired (kinda like Damage Deposit). GNRP plays a similar style with maybe a little less youth crew, and more of a Tear It Up sounds. Probably wouldn't pick this up again.

12"

Punch In The Face- At War With Everybody
First of all the cover art for this is really cool, and doesn't look like the typical punk cover art. It's done by Mike Sutfin, who's probably more known for his art on Magic cards. I had been looking forward to this record for a while since those 2 7"s they had out were great. I was a bit disappointed that the PITF I grew to love slowed it way down. It's not a bad record, but they're definitely not playing at the break neck speed they were on previous recordings. It kinda reminds me of Dead Stop, which isn't a bad thing, but I was expecting something different.


Bombs Away 10 Song EP
This is a reissue of a record that came out a few years ago. All I know is that it had William (from Talk Is Poison/ Copout/ Suicide Party) on vocals. While it's no Talk is Poison, it's still a pretty damn good record. Similar to the related bands, it's pretty fast heavy hardcore. I'd recommend checking it out if you're a fan of any of those related bands.


Ringers- Curses
This is Ringers' first record, which I actually picked up second (oops). I think I ike Detention Halls a little better, but this record is real cool. Definitely catchy and melodic if you're into that sorta thing. Personally I've gotta be in the right mood or it, but this is good stuff.

I have 2 shows in January that I'm working on, and going to This Is For You Fest again this year in Daytona, FL.

TV Party- Annihilate all week long

So the new TV season is in full swing, and unfortunately with the writers strike, may be over soon. I'll let you know what I've been watching, as if you care...



MONDAY
At 8pm on CBS is How I Met Your Mother, the premise behind the show is of a father telling stories to his kids about his friends and how he met their mother (who they still have yet to introduce). The show's really funny, and is basically a cross between Scrubs and Friends (before it got terrible). Pretty much the only thing on CBS worth watching.
When I was working in NYC, there were huge billboard for 2 new shows: Chuck (on NBC) and the Big Bang Theory (CBS). I've given both a shot, and neither are really all that great. Chuck starts at 8, but I just flip to the last half hour before Heroes comes on. The premise of that one is that a nerdy dude happens to get an e-mail w/ government secrets in it. Now he works with the FBI and done some crazy James Bond type shit. Big Bang Theory is about nerd who live next door to a hot chick, yawn.
Heroes is on NBC at 9, and is probably my favorite show on TV now. I know I've talked about it before, but it's basically a comic book in a live action setting. Unlike 90% of the comic movies that have come out recently, it's totally not crap. The most recent Season adds new characters, and puts some of the prominent ones from last season into the background. The mid season cliff hanger in 3 weeks may be the season finale, and I read that they made an alternate ending just in case. Fox's 24 will have some tough competition for the 9pm slot.
After Heroes at 10 is a new show on NBC, JourneyMan. It's somewhat similar to Quantum Leap, except the guy jumps into the past in his own body, and has to fix the future. It's not bad, but by the end of the hour I start losing interest. I'll probably keep with it until the end of the season, but if it changes time slots, I probably wouldn't follow it.

TUESDAY
The only thing I really watch on Tuesdays at 9 is House on Fox. Dr. House is an unorthodox doctor, who always has some sort of crazy diagnosis. This season however, he needs to find a new team since his last team abandoned him last season. It started out interestingly enough with an American Idol style weeding out of people, but it's still not decided who the new team is. It's still entertaining, but it's becoming more like CSI and Law and Order, where each episode is basically the same.

WEDNESDAY
An interesting new show on ABC is Pushing Daisies, which is like a crime drama mixed with a Dr Seuss book. There's a narrator which follows the storyline, and gives background information. Pretty cool, and probably the only thing I watch on ABC.
9-10 is kind of a bust until LOST starts again (if it starts again). I've been watching Kitchen Nightmares, where a chef goes to disgusting restaurants and tells them what to change to stay in business. Definitely not something to watch while eating, but it's funny to see him make fun of these dumb owners.
At 10, Comedy Central's been showing the new season of South Park, which for some reason is still just as witty 10 years later. Obviously you get the same satirical gross out humor, but there's been a lot of political shows and shows where they just make fun of a celebrity for a half hour.
The Sarah Silverman Program is a relatively new sitcom. Sarah plays herself as a character who's extremely juvenile and annoying. The supporting cast consists of her sister and her boyfriend, and her 2 gay neighbors. Pretty good off the wall humor that I'd take any day over Mind of Mencia.

THURSDAY
Thursday's a pretty big day, where I stick to NBC. At 8, it's My Name is Earl which is kind of different this season, since Earl is in prison. Normally it revolves around Earl traveling around with his brother Randy. The supporting cast of his ex-wife, the crab man and the maid at the hotel where they live are also great. Unfortunately the dynamic of the characters has been a little off this season, but I hope Earl gets out of jail soon, and they get back on track.
At 8:30 I usually watch 30 Rock, which is basically a sitcom about the making of an SNL stlye sketch comedy show. It stars SNL alumni Tina Fey (former writer), Tracy Morgan (former cast member) and Alec Baldwin (frequent guest). It's an alright show, but hardly the best of the lineup.
The Office has been a favorite of mine for a while. It took a little while to click, but the dry awkward humor is perfect for on the job based comedy. The show is set up like a reality show, and is based on a BBC program of the same name. This is by far my favorite comedy right now, and it even has a soap opera aspect to it.
This is the final season for Scrubs, and while I enjoyed the show since its beginning, it's the right time. The show's still funny, but the characters are changing, and the show's seemed to have lost it's stamina. JD just had a baby, Carla and Turk also have a baby, Elliot called off her engagement, and they killed off Laverne. It just doesn't have the same spark as it did before. Don't get me wrong, it's a great show, but I'd stick to the re-runs.

FRIDAY
I'm rarely home on a Friday night, but if I am, Meerkat Manor on Animal Planet is pretty awesome. Occasionally Discovery Channel will have Mythbusters reruns on, and that show is amazing.

SATURDAY
As big a loser as I am, I don't watch anything on Saturday.

SUNDAY
Sundays have been dominated by Fox for me because of theSimpsons. However at this point, it's more a force of habit since the show hasn't been funny in about 10 years. It's kind of ridiculous how long that show's been on TV. I remember when it started, me and Bart were both in the 3rd grade. Of the almost 20 years the show's been on TV, it maybe had 5 or 6 truly great seasons. The jokes now seem extremely forced and predictable. I'll occasionally watch it, and it has gotten better than it was, but still not at the level of its hey day. The Simpsons movie was surprisingly decent though.
I think King of the Hill is on after that, but that is seriously the WORST show. I have no idea who watches that crap, probably the same people who like those redneck comedy shows.
Family Guy got resurrected from the dead a few years ago, and I honestly wish it hadn't. Originally it was fresh how they had little non-sequitor parts would break up the story. Maybe it loses its charm over time, but the tired pop culture referances and lack of plot really lose my interest now. South Park had a good episode which tore into the fact that their jokes cover up the fact that they have no plot.
American Dad is done by the same pople as Family Guy, and relies more on plots than pop culture jokes. It revolves around a right wing CIA agent and his wacky family. It seems to only get by when placed before/after Family Guy, but probably couldn't stand on its own.

ALL WEEL LONG!
Cartoon Network's Adult Swim programming has been reigning supreme over my late night TV viewing since it started up. During the week it runs from 11-12:30, then the Anime starts, and I go to bed. The Daily Show and the Colbert Report on Comedy Central are usually good for more high brow / low brow humor. During the 11pm-12am block of time, Adult Swim has Futurama and Family Guy (both of which I own on DVD), so I'm not really missing much if I decide to miss those. Adult Swim has original programming which airs in mass on Sunday. Great original shows like the Boondocks, Metalocalypse, Aqua Teen Hunger Force, Harvey Birdman, and old shows like Sea Lab 2021 and Space Ghost are ridiculous and great. The Adult Swim style of humor is usually pretty offensive, and sometimes ridiculous. I still don't get why anyone watches Tim and Eric Awesome Show Great Job.

records < food

It's about that time again... I've started working again, so I've had more money to spend of records! A good chunk of these all come from the Sorry State Records web store and Celebrated Summer Records in Towson, MD.

7"s:

Civic Progress- Petroleum Man
I loved their demo, and they ruled at No Way Fest, so I was stoked to help them out with an NJ show. This record is most of their demo songs just re-recorded. The playing is a little tighter, and the production isn't as muffled. The band shares members with Cardiac Arrest, and have a similar early 80's raw hardcore punk approach. The lyrics are more political though, but not in a preachy kinda way- more in a Dead Kennedys kinda way. It rules, and should hold you over until the new 7" comes out.


86 Mentality- Final Exit
I guess this is supposed to be 86 Mentality's last record(?), and it's a great way to go out. It starts with an Outro that's slow and brooding, then kicks into their raw fast sound. They always reminded me a lot of SOA and Negative Approach since the songs have a real monotone rawness to them. No real evolution here, just more of the same great stuff they've been doing all along. Pay your final respects, and get this.





Cross Laws- Behind the Curve
Cross Laws- Ancient Rites
Cross Laws released 3 7"s (one of those being a demo) within a short amount of time before breaking up recently. "Behind the Curve" seemed to sell out immediately, maybe since it was limited to 300- maybe because it rules. By the time I heard it was out, it was already gone, luckily I happened to find one at a shitty record store by me. This record picks up where the demo left off with real stripped down early 80's style HC in the style of mid-west bands like the Fix and Negative Approach. Ancient Rites, which was their final release has that same raw sound, but with a lot more melodic parts that are similar to early Articles of Faith. By no means is it any less raging, just a little different. This band broke up way too quickly, but hopefully we'll see some new noise from these guys soon.


Bored To Death- s/t
Bored to Death are a new band from Japan who play a more American style of early 80's hardcore (DC), almost like Total Fury. The recording sounds like it was run through an old boom box, and sounds real gritty (which is a good thing). The songs are real good and catchy, and naming your band after a Government Issue song helps too.


Crossed Eyes- Rattled
This is a little different than the average Sorry State Records release, and is a lot more pop-punk sounding. Luckily it's the kind of pop-punk that I like (not the border line emo or alternative sounding stuff). Similar to bands like the Observers, but with a more blown out recording sound. There's a lot of sing along parts, and I could totally see these guys going over well at a New Brunswick basement show.


Christian Club- Final Confession
I know this band shares a member with life Crisis, and share some of their blistering fast thrash influences. Sounding similar to early Poison Idea and maybe even Citizen's Arrest, and not pulling any punches on their stance against religion. Another band that broke up too soon.


Episode- s/t
This 7" seems to be surrounded with mystery, but they're apparently from TN. It comes in a printed dust sleeve with the insert stuck inside and hard to get out. It seriously sounds like Systematic Death and other Japanese classic, and I wouldn't joke around about that. All the songs sound different, but all fucking RAGE! Seriously, when was the last time you heard a band from America pull off Japanese Hardcore style well? This record will most likely disappear quickly, and is hard to come by even now, so find it now. I seriously can't recommend this any more.


Bad Dirty Hate- s/t
Bad Dirty Hate was the sleeper hit from "No Bullshit Vol. 1," and finally have something out. I had downloaded some of these songs as their demo, so I'm assuming that it was based on 2 recording sessions. If you read this blog enough, you know I have a huge soft spot for Japanese Hardcore. This stuff is just real fast and insane thrash like Systematic Deth or something like that.


Time to Escape- s/t
I guess this was recorded a while ago, and is just now seeing the light of day. The band had been broken up, but with the release of this 7" seems to have begun playing shows again. There's a big picture of the Capitol Building in Washing DC on the cover, and that's a pretty good way to describe how this sounds. They sound a lot like the Faith and other DC pre-Revolution Summer bands. Maybe we'll see another record from them in the future.


Regulations- Different Needs
I was kinda on the fence about this since the "Electric Guitar" LP was mediocre. This new 7" really didn't change that unfortunately. There's a few decent songs on here, but aren't nearly as good as the stuff on their s/t LP. It's not terrible, but I'd recommend their earlier releases more.


Let Down- Sacrifice Me
Let Down's back w/ another 4 song 7" of pissed off straight edge hardcore. Their sound leans more toward bands like Shark Attack, No Justice and Panic. Similar to their last record, but maybe a little more emphasis on the mosh parts. In a time when most edge bands are jocking shit like Biohazard, it's good to see a more stripped down sounding band in the mix.


The Ergs!/ Lemuria
Yet another new Ergs record, I think that makes 5 so far this year... I prefer the faster Ergs stuff, but this is a bit more like the mid-paced songs on the new LP. They cap off their side w/ a cover of "Hey Jealousy," which has been a staple live song for a little while now. They do the song somewhat faithfully, but add their own spin without sounding like Me First and the Gimmie Gimmies. Lemuria I've seen before in New Brunswick. They play some mid-paced female fronted pop-punk somewhat similar to Discount mixed w/ some late 80's/ early 90's power-pop. No too bad, and a perfect split to commemorate their US tour this summer.


Nightstick Justice- s/t
I'm not sure if they're named after the Negative Fx song or the N.O.T.A. song, but either are great bands to be associated with. I'd say it closer resembles NFX though. This is just NJ's demo repressed on vinyl, but damn is it killer. Aggressive pissed off raw early 80's inspired hardcore punk for CA. Should have a new record coming soon.


Upstab- W/ Report
Upstab's back w/ their 2nd and last(?) record of ripping Clevo style hardcore punk. Fans of bands like Cider, the Inmates and GSMF probably already love this. The singer also used to be in H-100's, who were great. That's all I can say, that scene is a genre all to itself.


Killin It!- s/t
NJ's Killin It unleash their first record of party thrash. Musically, I'd say they have a lot in common w/ Tear It Up, What Happens Next and Life's Halt, but pull it of a lot better than a lot of crappy boring thrash bands who fail at that style. Lyrically however, they're more in tune w/ bands like Municipal Wast, and have (multiple) songs about partying and pizza. It's a little goofy, but too many bands take themselves too serious these days anyway. As a long time edgeman, I'm not one for partying, but even I can get down with this.

LPs:

V/A- Four Old Seven Inches
This is also referred to on CD as "1981: A Year in Seven Inches," but has 2 extra Minor Threat 7"s. This was recently just repressed on clear vinyl, so I figured it was time to get the vinyl version. I wasn't sure if it would be remastered, but it's not. There is a little bit different art on the insert. If you're not familiar w/ this release (and you should be), it features the CLASSIC 7"s from Teen Idles, S.O.A., Government Issue, and Youth Brigade. Without going into a history lesson, these band were all peers to Minor Threat, so if they're one of the few bands you know of that scene, there would make a perfect companion. I'd also like to add that the S.O.A. 7" is probably my favorite HC record.


Talk Is Poison- Condensed Humanity
I'm still kicking myself for not getting into this band when they toured around here, but I've since fallen in love with all of their records (and related bands). This LP compiles all of their releases (2 7"s and a split 7" w/ Deathreat). I was hoping that I was missing out on a comp song or some demo stuff, but nope. Either way, all their releases have been out of print for a while, so maybe this will get some more people to check them out. Members went on to various other bands, but Look Back and Laugh sounds most similar to the TIP sound. They just did 2 shows on the west coast, and I hear they're starting to play more shows!


Deep Wound- Discography
Fucking Deep Wound! Yes, that classic hardcore band from MA. This is a discography LP which contains their awesome 7", demo stuff and some comp tracks. Members of this band went on to be big in bands like Dinosaur Jr. and Sebadoh, but those bands sucked. Obviously I loved that 7", but hadn't heard the other stuff until now, and it's all great. I was a little hesitant based on the import price on this, but I had some record store credit to blow. These guys were more like Siege, and weren't in with the Boston HC scene, but made some loud noise that made people take notice. The cover art's kinda weird (mine is different from the one above).


The Blinds- On Our Own
I like this a lot more than that 7" that came out recently. This is more tuned into the same Angry Samoans / Circle Jerks sound of their demo, they even re-record some of the tracks from that. I hear these guys are all around the age of 15, which makes this rule even more. They're from Sweden, and fit in with bands like Regulations and the Vicious from there. May be a little tricky to get since it was pressed on a European label, but worth the hunt.


Gouka- Program
I found this used, and all I really knew was that they're from Japan, and toured around here a year or so ago. The music reminds me a bit of Forward, but the vocals are a lot more distorted. Heavy on the D-beat, but more interesting than most crust bands.


Jay Reatard- Blood Visions
Not something I would normally check out, but the songs I heard were real catchy, so I gave it a try. It's got a cool mix of Buzzcocks styled punk mixed with garage punk and some catchy indie type rock. The production on here is real rough, which adds some rawness to these catchy pop tunes. I'm not familiar w/ his stuff in the Reatards, but I can see this straddling the lines between punk and indie rock crowds.

CDs:

Ringers- Detention Halls
This is Ringers' second release. I don't have the first one, but had heard a lot of good things about them, so I snagged this from a used bin. It's poppy, but it also has a real mid paced British punk sound to it as well. It's kinda like Dillinger 4 mixed with the Clash (minus the reggae crap). It's really catchy, and I like the singer's gritty voice. There's some hand claps, catchy sing along parts and I'm sure people into the more recent pop punk scene will be way into this.


the Shemps- Spazz Out with...
I've seen the Shemps a few times, but finally got their CD, and it's pretty cool. Despite having Artie (Millhouse/ Celebrity Murders) on vocals, they sound a lot more like a garage punk band. There's some catchy sing along parts, and some good guitar riffage. Real dirty old Rock N Roll quality to the recording too.

demos:
About To Snap (cassette)
About to Snap aren't new, but this tape is a discography which was made for their last show. It contains their new songs, an unused demo, their "Already Dead" 7", their demo 7" and a live set. Unfortunately they couldn't hold it together, because those new songs are real good. They always reminded me of bands like Voorhees and 97a who took angry early 80's HC, and put a more modern spin on it. Great band- R.I.P.

I Hate This (CDr)
I Hate This is a 3 person thrash/ power-violence band from PA/NJ. They sound real similar to Sick Fix (female singer), and are heavily influenced by bands like Infest. The recording quality is good, but the guitar needs some work to compensate for their lack of a bass player. This fits in well with the recent resurgence of bands playing in the old Slap A Ham records style.

Dead Tired (CDr)
Dead Tired is a new band from the NJ shore with a sound that seems to be a mix of Kill Your Idols with some Faction style skate rock guitar parts. There's some sorta fast parts, but then there's also some real slow parts. There's a mix of styles in there, but they don't melt well together yet. Shows potential though.

Vermefug (CDr)
This was just handed to me at a show, so I don't know much about them. The members all seriously look like Guns N Roses circa 1988, and their sound is very 80's crossover sounding. I mean hell, I grew up on shit like Anthrax and Exodus type stuff, so I'm surprisingly into this. They also have a song about the movie Street Trash, which is pretty cool in my book.

At the Movies

I've recently caught 2 horror movies in theaters, one being Rob Zombie's interpretation of Halloween,the other being Hatchet. Halloween is pretty much showing everywhere, but Hatchet was only playing in 1 theater in the tr-state area.
While I'm not a fan of more recent horror movies, and even less a fan of remakes, I saw Halloween anyway. I had seen Devil's Rejects, and thought it was ok, so I figured Rob Zombie might do a decent job. The original Halloween movies were pretty awesome, but the last few were terrible. In this one, they try to go more in depth with the origin of Michael Myers and Dr. Loomis' relationship. In reality, they waste a good 45 minutes to establish that Michael just kills for no reason... As if I couldn't figure that out already. They show his affinity for masks, and how he obtains his trademark jumpsuit. There's plenty of blood and nudity, which all self respecting horror fans love. Zombie naturally cast his usual cast of characters to play cameos in this as well. The best casting decision was to cast Danielle Harris (Halloween 4/5) as one of Laurie's friends. The ending seemed so forced that by the end of the movie I really didn't care anymore. It seems like they added an extra half hour just for a chase scene through the house. Hopefully there won't be any sequels, which I don't think they planned since Michael and Loomis seem to be dead.
Hatchet is promoted as "old school american horror," which is basically referring to classic slasher gore. The movie follows a group of tourists who find themselves stranded in the woods of New Orleans when their boat tour crashes. The woods are inhabited by Victor Crowley, a deformed man who was thought to have died in a fire. Or maybe it's a ghost, either way the dude's huge and violent. The special effects are all makeup and no CGI (thank god), and the gore is top notch. The story kin dof falls apart, since you don't really see much of Victor aside from when he's mutilating people, and the tourists are all annoying and un-funny. This movie had a lot of potential, but could have been a lot better. If this had the support that Halloween did, maybe they would have put more development into it. Even though it was kind of disappointing, it was still way better than most recent horror movies by far.
I did see a really good horror movie recently, which was the straight to DVD movie, Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon. It started off as a sort of documentary of a reporter following a man in trainign to be a killer. In this reality Jason Voorhees, Michael Myers and Freddy Kreuger are all real people. They follow his training, finding his target and setting traps in a house. In the end, the reporter and camera crew find themselves in the main event. In a way it's similar to Scream how they talk about horror movies in a horror movie, but didn't completely suck like Scream did. This movies is a horror movie for horror fans. It's got loads of cameos, humor, gore, nudity and a damn good story. I highly recommend giving this one a spin, I found it on DVD real cheap on Amazon.

Overdue record reviews- pt. 2: 7"s / demos

Ok, so here's the rest of the stuff I got recently. I've gotten a lot of demos lately, which is great. 7"s seem to pile up a lot quicker than anything else, and there's a lot of future classics out there. Some of there are still unreleased officially, and I was just lucky enough to snag tour pressings.

7"s:

Government Warning- Arrested
So the new Government Warning EP is finally out. They'd been playing the song "Arrested" for a little while now. It's kind of more mid paced, but just as catchy. The rest of the songs are more in the faster GW style. Government Warning are the best current band going, so obviously you're going to get this record.


Wasted Time- No Shore
If you thought the last Wasted Time record ruled, you're in for a treat; this new one is even better. Still fast and aggressive in a Poison Idea kind of way, but there's an almost Deathreat style heaviness to it all. They're really improved a ton over the past year since Brandon (Direct Control, Gov't Warning, Municipal Waste, etc) has been drumming for them. Even if you were kinda on the fence about the last EP, this is really great and should make more people take notice.


Life Trap- Bleak Reality
This came out of nowhere, the demo songs online were cool, but holy shit! These guys are all pretty young; but play faster, tighter and better than most bands twice their age. Fast songs about frustration and rage. At No Way Fest they covered Koro and Articles of Faith, and I can't think of a better comparison.



The Ergs- Blue
The Ergs/ Grabass Charlestons
The Ergs' new record assault continues. "Blue" is a song from an old demo that's finally seeing the light of day on a 7" that's got a blue cover and blue vinyl w/ a B-side being a cover of the song "Blew" by some crappy 90's alternative band. If you're a fan of the earlier Ergs stuff, the song Blue is more of the speedy pop-punk you'll love. The Grabass Charlestons I was never too keen on, but these songs sound cool I guess. The Ergs side has a few songs they've been playing live for a while. I'm glad all these Ergs songs they've had demos of for a while are finally seeing the light of day with official releases.



Socialcide- Sick of the Pressure
Socialcide- Burn in Hell, Bundy
Sick of the Pressure is a reissue of the demo, which I loved and already reviewed. If you missed out on that, I highly suggest you get this then. In the time that passed since recording the demo, Socialcide had a few lineup changes, and sound even better. The new record picks up where the demo left off, and will leave your head spinning. I don't know what's in the water in Richmond, VA; but there's a ton of awesome bands down there.



Forced March- Wasted Existence
Raiser/ Forced March
Forced March play some raging fast heavy hardcore, in a similar way to bands like the Holy Mountain, Deathreat or From Ashes Rise. Pretty fast for the crusty crowd, but there's political lyrics. The Wasted Existence EP has some cool art with one of those obi strips. The layout on both records is a little plain. Raiser is from Spain, and play a somewhat similar style, but with some more metallic guitar tone.


Fighting Dogs- s/t
Fighting Dogs were a band from Philly up until recently. They have a female/male vocal attack, with some raw crusty metal music. I was lucky enough to snag this EP at their last show, but the real pressing isn't out yet. They revisit "the Witching" from their demo, and add some more guitar parts. Bands like this always seem to be lacking on a 7" format. Their songs are pretty long and complex that I wish they had an LP worth of material. Unfortunately they are no more, but if you're into crusty Japanese influenced punk metal, check em out (RIP).


Total Abuse- Sex Pig
Remember the Snobs? Well they grew up, and are playing some awesome retro sounding hardcore punk again. They sound more like Koro and Negative FX than the Dischord worship of the Snobs. It's real fast tight noisy hardcore punk, and it's damn good.


Life Crisis- Churchstate
Ever wondered what would happen if you crossed Poison Idea with DRI and the Circle Jerks? The answer is Life Crisis. They play some fast raging California styled thrashy hardcore, it has a skate punky feel like RKL. Some smart political lyrics to boot about religion and government.


Sex/Vid- Tania
I suppose they're sorta hyped in certain circles, not around here though. Sex/Vid play some really cool low-fi hardcore punk in a similar way to bands like Career Suicide or Terminal State. It's pretty noisy and the sound quality isn't great, but most of my favorite 80's hardcore records sound like crap too. Good luck finding it, their first EP sold out in no time.


Ecoli- Rape
I saw this listed in a distro described as "for fans of Koro and Neon Christ," and that's a hell of a sales pitch. It doesn't let down either, this is some fast shit here, but doesn't tread into the crossover or power-violence genre. This seems to be a part of the ever growing younger California thrash scene. Good stuff for sure.


The Blinds- s/t
I LOVED that demo they put out a while back, so I was excited to see that they recorded again. The songs are a little more complex than the demo songs, and it's not bad. I was just expecting the same raw sound of the demo, but it's still got a fast tight Angry Samoans style sound. The cover art looks like it should be in color (mine's in black and white), and there's no insert or lyrics. I hear their LP is good, but I haven't picked that up yet.


Destroy L.A.- Vandalize
This kinda reminds me of early DRI mixed with some Nardcore, but the singer's voice kind of reminds me of Grimple a little. Pretty good thrashy stuff here.


Sick Fix- s/t
Sick Fix re-visit last year's demo, and re-recorded the whole dang thing. Since I loved the demo, I needed no convincing to pick up this. The guitar tone sounds a lot heavier, it could be from a better recording quality. It almost sounds like it's a different tuning maybe. Either way if you're into heavy power-violence type stuff with sXe lyrics, you win. Musically it reminds me of Infest and Failure Face, but the vocals are similar to Look Back and Laugh.


0DFX (Zero Defex)- War Hero (1983 demo)
For those not down w/ 0DFX, they were a hardcore band from Cleveland, OH in the 80's. I would categorize them in the same league as mid-west greats like Negative Approach, the Fix, Mecht Mensch, etc. Great to see more stuff by them becoming available. Another demo 7" is coming out shortly.


V/A- Demolition Series #1
The first of hopefully many Demolition compilations compiles 4 7"s of bands' demos (get it... DEMO-lition). Each record is limited to 200 ever, and the set is limited to 155. Obviously since the bands recorded this stuff as demos, the sound quality varies, but is surprisingly good. Rabies- Before the Disease compiles a few demos they did before the Disease-core EP. The A side is a little rough, but the B side is a lot more like the Rabies we know. Cross Laws- Can't Sleep is a 1 sided 7" with some good early 80's mid-west influenced old style hardcore punk. This record is probably my favorite in the set, and I still need to track down the new EP. Despite the sloppy cover art, the Vile Nation- s/t record is pretty raw and has a sweet NegFX cover. Chaotic Mess- Bloody Fetus in the Toilet looks and sounds like a California thrash record, like Suicidal Tendencies. Good luck finding this bad boy, it was pretty much a mail-order only type deal.


V/A- Mass Confusion
This record came with issue 3 of the Big Hurt fanzine. The zine is a great companion to this record, since it has interviews with every band on here. Most of the bands seem to be from the Chicago/ Toronto area. There's a good variety of punk and hardcore on here. My favorite song is the Terminal State one. I'm not sure if the rest are previously unreleased, but I know the 86 Mentality one was on their last record. I don't think the record and zine stand alone well, but make a great pair.

demos:

Bad Advice (CDr)
Sweet new band with some familiar faces from VA (Government Warning/ Direct Control members). This is pretty fast, but more straight up punk than hardcore sounding. This kinda reminds me of Battalion of Saints. There are some mid-paced upbeat songs, and the last song's actually kinda slow, but really good. It says inside they're going to do an EP on No Way Records, so you know you're gonna like it.

Civic Progress (tape)
Some members of Cardiac Arrest play some pretty ripping hardcore. Sound reminds me of Negative FX a lot, pretty fast early 80's Boston style HC. Pretty similar to other St. Louis, MO bands like Cardiac Arrest (obviously) and the Breaks. They have a song on her that bashes Crimethinc on here, which is pretty cool.

Guilty Faces (tape)
Some good old sounding punk with ex- Ratbyte members. This has a more mid-paced sound kinda like the Adolescents or the Faction. The singer, Tommy's voice is really raspy, which gives it an added edge. There are a lot of cool guitar leads, which is pretty cool. Kinda similar to the Bad Advice demo, someone do a split 7".

Life Crisis- Political Religious System (CD)
This is the pre-release for the new 7", which wasn't ready in time for their tour. The CD looks to be pro-printed, which is kinda cool. This is a little heavier, in a DRI sense, than their last record. It's still ripping fast, with short songs. A little lineup change, but still fits in the same style as the previous EP.

Retard Strength (tape)
I got the limited edition "Jeff DeSantis" pressing of this demo, so I don't now if this is the same thing they've been selling. I know they just recorded for a split 7" with Concrete Facelift. Despite the silly name, Retard Strength actually plays some pretty awesome hardcore punk, which reminds me of some of the bands on the "Not So Quiet on the Western Front" or Middle Class. Pretty low-fi fast hardcore punk with a spastic singer (with the best vest ever). Keep an eye out for these guys.

Zhenia Golov (CDr)
Zhenia Golov, from NJ, with members of some other local bands, but this is much better than their past efforts. The sound reminds me more of heavier crusty hardcore punk bands like Wolfbrigade with politically minded lyrics. Some good raw distorted crusty hardcore here, which very rarely pops up around these parts. The guitar sounds a little low, but I think they just recorded for a 7", so I'm sure the quality on future releases will be more evenly mixed.

Always Aware (CDr)
Some pretty generic sounding youth crew straight edge type stuff here. I think they have a member of Expired Youth, which were kinda similar. I could see people stage diving and finger pointing to this, but it's really nothing new. It reminds me of the late 90's youth crew revival, but I guess bands like that are a little more scarce these days.

Pitfall(CDr)
Despite having an S.O.A. cover and a bunch of samples, I can't say I'm too into this. While it is kinda fast, it's got some almost metal breakdowns. I'm not too into that stuff, but it kinda sounds like early Cro Mags I guess.

Plead the Fifth(CDr)
They were sending these out for free, so I suppose I can't complain too much. The recording quality is pretty good, but the packaging leaves much to be desired. I guess this would be considered more like faster modern hardcore- something like Ceremony, with fast parts and mosh parts.

Hit the Books- Read Fast, Die Young (CDr)
OK, Scholastic Deth did the whole thrashy punk about books and stuff years ago. These guys play some fast thrash punk with most songs clocking in around a minute. The playing and recording quality needs to get worked on, but I'd rather hear this than most jock metal core that's big these days.

Oh, and my band, Wormeaters has a split demo tape w/ the Kanamits out. Get in touch w/ me if you want to order one. Both bands share members and both play fast hardcore punk. The Kanamits play some early 80's California style fast hc/punk with a female singer. (For fans of Sin 34, No Thanks, I Object) Wormeaters play a more aggressive angry style of early 80's influenced hardcore with dystopian political lyrics. (For fans of Negative Approach, Mental Abuse, YDI, Agnostic Front)
http://myspace.com/kanamits
http://myspace.com/wormeaters

Overdue record reviews- pt.1: 12"/ CDs

Ok, so these are basically all the records / CDs / demos I've acquired over the past 2-3 months. There's a ton, so I apologise if I don't go as in depth as you'd like. I've decided to break it into 3 parts: LP/CDs, 7" EPs, and demos

LPs:

Double Negative- The Wonderful and Frightening World of...
North Carolina's best kept secret emerges with by far one of the best LPs that I've heard in a while. I think the average age of these guys is in the late 30's, and they show no signs of slowing down. What you get is blisteringly fast heavy hardcore. It sounds like if you were to smash together the raw sound of the early Corrosion of Conformity, the intensity of Gauze and the driving beats of Discharge. There's really no current bands I can think of that are this intense. Seriously, stop what you're doing, and order this record right now!


Repercussions- 11 Song EP
After all my friends who went to Chaos in Texas fest came home raving about this band, I figured I should give it a chance. I'm glad I did, because it's some great raw heavy hardcore. With a resume that boasts bands like Deathreat, Balance of Terror, Cold Sweat, Pedestrians and Army of Jesus; you'd assume it'd be great. The sound leans heavily toward the Deathreat sound, with heavy guitars and quick time changes. I hear they may have broke up, or went on hiatus, but don't miss out on this.


Look Back and Laugh- State of Illusion
LBAL come back with a new 1 sided 4 song LP. The B side has a cool looking screen, but the cover art is kinda weird looking. I think I like last year's Street Terrorism 7" better, but this is pretty good. It's more of the same good fast hardcore you've come to expect from them, but nothing new. But hey, why change what works right?


Criminal Damage- No Solution
If you're like me, that first "Crim Dam" LP took you by surprise, and you fell in love. This new LP is certainly not going to disappoint. It's got the same Blitz inspired anthemic backup vocal, and mid-paced drumming. The recording quality is about the same as the other record, and picks up right where it left off. There's really no reason to not get this.


Warkrime- Get Loose
Warkrime are back with a followup to their "Give War a Chance" 7" that came out last year. I think I like this one a lot more, there's a lot more guitar work on here, and the songs just sound tighter. I think the vocals seemed a little low or distorted, but it works. They remind me of Verbal Abuse a lot, with some in your face antics like Sick Pleasure. When I saw them a few weeks ago the singer was shoving people and slapped me in the face. Hell, if I wanted hugs and handshakes, I would to see Lifetime or some shit.


Autistic Youth- Landmine Beach
Autistic Youth from Portland came through here on tour recently, and I picked up this little gem. It's really catchy and poppy in the same sense as the Observers and Pink Razors, but it seems to have some more early punk influence. It's really good stuff that more people should be stoked on.


Pisschrist- Nothing Has Changed
Australia's Pisschrist came to the US a few months ago, and I saw them in a basement (with Lifetime of all bands) in NJ. While they didn't fit on the bill, they played some awesome raging D-beat hardcore. Stuff like this I always like more live than recorded, but this is real good. Real fast and heavy with distorted vocals that the punx just love.


Broken Needle- s/t
I'd been hearing about Broken Needle for a while, since they have ex- members of Life's Halt. Finally a record surfaces with what looks like like a compilation of demos with some sweet cover art from Biscuit (RIP) of the Big Boys. It has pretty much all the good elements of the 2000's thrash explosion. Fast punk hardcore with some leads and no metal. Very catchy, very California sounding and very punk.


Zodiac Killers- Radiation Beach
I found their previous CD in a used bin, and picked it up because it looked cool. This is unfortunately their last album, but it's a good one! Some surfy Angry Samoans/ Ramones influenced punk. Real catchy and fast, it's a shame they're done. Give it a shot, you may be surprised...


V/A- Killed By Death vol. 1
I was surprised to see this in the store, I don't know if all the old KBD comps were reissued or just re-bootlegged. Either way, these compilations are great to get into stuff you probably wouldn't even know exists. This one has stuff like the Authorities, the Mad and Kraut. I'm sure a lot of these records are available on mp3 blogs now, but for the KBD novice this is a great intro. Compilations used to be pretty important to introduce people to new bands, or in this case old bands. I saw other volumes in the store as well, I hope I can still get my hands on more of these.

CDs:

The Degenerics- Generic Record Collection
I supposed I should preface this with the fact that the Degenerics are one of my favorite bands of all time. They were one of the first local hardcore bands I heard, and left a lasting impression. This collects pretty much everything they recorded. There's the classic Generica LP, the s/t 7", the No Comply 7", the Final Chapter 7", and demo, comp, outtakes and part of a live set. They were one of those bands that if you saw them, you loved them. They didn't get out of NJ as much as they should have in their 8 year existence, so if you missed the boat here's your chance to catch up. All of the tracks were remastered ans sound great, except that all the samples were removed. I guess legal issues over the past few years with samples is why that happened. It's not a huge problem, it just sounds different. If I were to have to describe their sound, I guess mix Discharge with Bad Brains, Black Sabbath and Void. I don't think that comes close to doing them any justice, but I guess stuff like Aus Rotten or most good 90's crustish HC. Crappy descriptions aside, this rules and they started playing a few shows again.


Seasick- Awakenings
NJ's Seasick bring you their first solo record, after a few demos and a split 7". The sound is really polished with great recording quality. They still have the same thrashy anarchist sound, but this reminds me of the early American Nightmare 7"s. There's some re-recorded demo tracks, but they sound on par with the new stuff. They kind of straddle the line between the thrashy hardcore and the melodic hardcore scene.


V/A- Drunk and Alone (Don Giovanni Records sampler)
This is a comp of Don Giovanni's most recent roster of punk/ power-pop releases. The Dustheads open up the comp with a song from their new album which I believe isn't out yet. For Science has 2 different songs from 2 different albums with 2 different lineups. The Ergs also boast 2 songs, from their 2 DG releases. Most of the bands are more in the pop-punk/power pop vein. It's cool that bands are still out there playing this stuff, without at the same time trying to get a major label deal. I'd rather hear some good ol' hardcore, but that's just me...

Who needs the Kwik E Mart?

I do!
While I generally try to avoid NYC, despite living about an hour from it. I just find it way too crowded and big, plus it just seems so dirty. I had heard that 7-ELEVEN had converted a handful of stores around the country into Kwik E Marts to promote the upcoming Simpsons Movie. I gotta be honest, and say the Simpsons hasn't been funny in over 10 years, and I'm not really too excited about the movie. However, when it was good, it was great! Anyway, one of those Kwik E Marts is in NYC on 42nd St., and since I had a job interview in the city, I figured I should go check it out.

It's pretty crazy all the effort that they put in this promotion. There were life size stand-ups of a bunch of favorites, and Simpsons related products. They were selling Krusty O's, which I remember they made a few years back and were pretty good. They also had Buzz Cola, which kinda tasted like Vanilla Coke, and the pink donuts w/ sprinkles. I there was supposed to be a Radioactive Man comic for sale also, but they must've sold out. All of the clerks had Kwik E Mart shirts, which would make Apu proud. I think my favorite was that they had a huge sticker of Jasper on one of the fridge doors, which referenced the episode where he froze himself, and Apu changed the store to the Freak E Mart.

For all the effort they put in, it seemed like it was packed w/ people just visiting it as a tourist attraction. A lot of people were buying Simpsons related merchandise, so I tip my hat to you Fox.


I know I haven't done a reviews post in a while, I've been busy with shows (booking/ attending/ playing) and searching for a job. I'll try to compile a mega post soon.

No Way Fest!!!

First of all, thanks to traffic we got there 2 hours later that we had expected. We got in just as Civic Progress was starting. I may have been the excitement of finally getting to the fest and out of the car, but they sounded awesome; I picked up a demo. Luckily the lineup had shifted, and we didn't miss Wasted Time. The last time I saw them they blew me away, and the new 7" rips. They played awesome, and got a great reaction. Acid Reflux was next, and played great. I fell in love w/ their demo (which was repressed on No Way), and they played even better. Their songs are so stripped down and raw. We left to get some food, since we hadn't eaten since the morning. We found a burrito place around the corner, which had the worst burritos I've ever had in my life. It was more like a pizza w/ beans inside. We had to just listen to Social Circkle from outside. The club was interesting in that there were tons of windows and garage doors, so you could hear almost perfectly outside. Stayed outside regretting the burritos during Caustic Christ, who played a lot off the new LP (which I wasn't as fond of). Direct Control was next, and It's been almost a year since I saw them last. They played even better than they normally do, and did a good mix of old and new. They even played "Hardcore for Heroin," which I haven't seen them play in a long time. Career Suicide made a rare appearance, piggy-backing on Fucked Up's tour dates. Since their guitarist is in Fucked Up, they haven't really done too much lately. They played a ton of stuff off the new LP, which was cool to hear live. The last tour they did they were selling the new LP, so it was the first time seeing them where I actually knew the songs. Lots of energy/ lots of fun, and it was only 9pm!

There was an after party show at a warehouse not too far away. We stopped off at a supermarket for brews (for my crew), and iced tea for me. We got there before most of the crowd, and just hung out w/ people. There were some hoola hoop competitions, and lots of drinking. Bad Advice were supposed to play, but their singer was either too drunk or missing. The Fratboys played first, which seemed to have members of Socialcide. Not too bad raw fast hardcore, with a sweet SSD cover. Life Crisis, who I had done a show for earlier that week, played next. They sounded even better at this show, which was the end of their tour. A great way to end a tour for sure. The Inmates were next, and due to the amount of drinking everyone was doing, I knew it'd be awesome. They opened up w/ "cement shoes," and the hoola hoops and milk crates went flying. People were running around like maniacs, and throwing fireworks. After getting hit in the throat with a hoola hoop, and almost narrowly deflecting a crate w/ my forearm, I decided to move to the side. They probably played the best set of the weekend. Fucked Up played next, and I haven't been too keen on the most recent Fucked Up material, so I sat this one out. They played a handful of covers (Blitz, Black Flag, the Nubs, Poison Idea), but none of them were too great. There were maybe 3 other sober people at this, but I think it was more fun. Best weirdo was the dude w/ the Hurricane 40 and A W.K. tattoos, who was hoola hooping while balancing on a wire spool. Then when he fell, some girl got on top of him, and they started making out.

I didn't sleep much that night, since I slept on a chair. We went out for breakfast, then to check out the huge weird cemetary. We found some weird looking tombstones, and someone named "Morecock," which we all took pictures of. The show this day started later, which was cool, but ended later. Socialcide was playing first today, and I was excited to finally see them, since their demo ripped. I expected them to be good, but holy shit, what a great way to kick off the day. Deep Sleep rose from the dead earlier this year, along w/ some members of the Spark. I had loved their 7", it had an almost poppy vibe, but still stayed real punk. It was cool to finally see them live, but the crowd didn't seem into them since they weren't super fast. Next was Cloak Dagger, who I'd seen before. I think they're ok, a little too slick sounding for my liking. I had heard a lot of great things about Life Trap's live show, and the songs I heard online were pretty cool. Nothing I heard could have prepared me for one of the tightest, most energetic sets of the fest. They blazed through their songs and awesome covers of Koro and Articles of Faith, all while the singer had his fly down. A hard act to follow, but Chronic Seizure were definitely up for it, despite probably being almost twice Life Trap's age. Both of their 7"s are great, and highly recommended. Cardiac Arrest was another band I was excited to see for the first time as well. I loved both of their records, and the singer's voice is a dead ringer for Choke (Negative FX, Last Rites, Slapshot). They were awesome, and someone finally suceeded in taking off the singer's bandanna. After seeing Government Warning a ton of times, I know I'm always in for a high quality show. Despite their singer almost breaking his neck at the show the day before, they tore through the usual set and surprisingly played no covers. Double Negative were a band I'd been hearing a lot of good things about, so when their LP finally came out, I ordered it right away. I was definitely not let down, and my expectations were high for their set. They played really awesome, but unfortunately it seemed like a lot of people left since it was getting late. Their loss, since Double Negative were one of the best sets of the night. Up next was the much anticipated Sick Pleasure set. I'd seen Nicki Sicki weirding around outside the past 2 days, but didn't see any other old weirdos with him. Turns out it was just 3/4 of Government Warning as his backing band. They played a handful of songs, and were tons of fun. He even pulled his pants down during "I've Got Herpes," and was waving his dick around. They ended their set with a cover of "sonic reducer" by the Dead Boys. The show ended pretty late, and I didn't get home until like 6am. If I had a job, I would've been tired going to it.

Thanks to Brandon and Lauren for setting up such an awesome fest. Thanks to everyone who picked up one of the posters I made. It means a lot to this unemployed artist.

*Normally these reviews would be coupled with photos I took. Unfortunately w/ my hard drive crashing, I lost all of my website files. At the same time, my parents took the camera I usually use on vacation with them. Seems I'm out of the show photography scene for a little while.*

shows and records, records and shows

So I wouldn't consider myself a show promoter really, but if a good band needs a show and wants to play NJ (for some reason), I'll set one up. I only work with venues that don't charge for the space, usually basements, but I did do a show at a burrito shop a few weeks ago. I set up 3 shows this past month, and each show seemed to go well in retrospect, but seemed worse and worse. The first show was pretty well attended, though I thought more should've been there. The second one was kinda last minute, but between going to 3 shows that week and handing out 50 flyers at a show around the corner 2 days prior, only 12 people came. And most of them were from PA. The third show had another low attendance, and the touring bands showed up late and drunk, despite them asking for a matinee show, so it would end earlier. The sad turnout really put a bad taste in my mouth about doing more shows. I mean the bands all appreciated it, but it makes me re-think my loyalties to other local bands. I've gone to shows for a while, and have bought records from bands I don't necessarily like just to support them. The fact that my band even played 2 of the 3 shows, and people who's bands I supported weren't there. I'm in the process of getting 2 shows in June going, but I'm trying some different places and different bands. Also, my favorite NJ band, the Degenerics are playing a reunion show at the end of June, which I'm very excited about.

The past month's been crazy! between job interviews, setting up and promoting/ attending a bunch of shows, sick w/ allergies and just general work I haven't had much time to rest. Luckily, I've had a nice chunk of sweet records to listen to.

7"s

the Vicious- Igen
The new Vicious record was luckily ready for their US tour, which I was lucky enough to catch on 4 dates. The new record isn't nearly as good as Obsessive of Alienated, but still really catchy. 3 new songs, and 2 of them aren't in english. I don't really mind when foreign bands switch up english and foreign lyrics (like No Hope For The Kids), so maybe this will be more regular for the Vicious. The new stuff has a real Gorilla Angreb vibe to it. I wouldn't suggest this as a good starting point, but it's a good indication of where they are and where they're going.


Terminal State- Sick
Terminal State didn't do too much since that 7" came out in 2005, but this new record shows that their sound has matured a bit. They've always reminded me of old early 80's KBD style hardcore, with a DC simplicity. These 3 songs are great, I just wish there were more. They played a show in NJ a few weeks ago on a weekend tour, and they've got a bunch of new material that's totally killer. Probably going to be an LP from these guys sometime soon, and it'll be great!


Acid Reflux- s/t
This 7" is basically their demo on vinyl. Since I already reviewed the demo, I'll spare repeating myself. This band rules, get this fucking 7"!


Dustheads- Tall Tales II
Following up last year's "Tall Tales" 7" with its second installment. Dustheads continue where they left off, with heavy rock influences over some old school sounding fast hardcore. Occasionally the rock parts seem a bit forced, or mismatched, but when it's good it's real good. "Altered States" is a great beginning, and should appeal to fans of hardcore and heavy stoner rock. I think both "Tall Tales" will be on one LP, once both 7"s are out of print.


Total Fury/ the Jury
Another new release to coincide with a US tour. Total Fury is from Japan, but don't play the traditional "buring spirits" style. They have a sound that's much more early 80's american HC, like the DC bands. However, there's an intensity to the sound that not many bands can touch. This has a re-recorded version of "You're Too Old" from the LP, with some more rockin guitar parts. There's also a Scream cover. The Jury had a 7" come out last year, which reminded me of 9 Shocks a lot. This stuff is fairly similar, but compared to TF, it kinda falls flat. They also cover "Crash The Pose" by Gauze (HOLY SHIT!), but it doesn't really touch the speed and intensity of the original. Overall it's pretty rough to tackle a song by the gods of Japanese hardcore, and do a split w/ a totally raging current Japanese band, but I applaud the effort.


Dissystema- s/t
The Philly "motorcharge" returns after a hiatus with a new drummer. A lot of their older stuff was pretty standard D-beat / Doom sounding stuff, but there's some real cool Motorhead sounding parts on here. Their sound's breaking out of d-beat mold, and would probably appeal to people into crust and fast hardcore. They're recording their 2nd LP soon, and it should be a rager and a half.


Harpoon Guns- s/t
I liked the LP they had out last year, so figured I should check out this new 7". This time you get more fast old school sounding hardcore, with some surfy leads. The rough recording quality makes it sound old too. The ammount of great old HC sounding bands from California right now is crazy.


Out With a Bang!- I'm Against It
Some good fast Italian hardcore here. They cram an LP's worth of songs on this 7", and it doesn't let up. They have a real old dirty punk sound, with some rockin guitar leads. Similar to classic old offensive hardcore punk, I really wish I saw them on their last tour. Stupid flooding rain and an hour drive kept me away...


Upstab- Somebody Threw a Jug of Thunderbird Wine at Me
This little guy came out a while ago, but I just got myself a copy recently. If you're not familiar w/ Upstab, it's Chris Erba's (H-100s) new band. Similar to other related Clevo bands, they rage through some of the best sloppy fast hardcore punk. I think they broke up already, but Cleveland bands never really die.


Hostages- Legend In My Head, Failure to the World
Kinda different, I did a show for them when they were on tour w/ Ruiner last month. Not really my thing, kinda sounds like a less metal influenced version of the Hope Conspiracy. some good parts, but they have a lot of songs which seem to ring out for a long time. I'd prefer things more stripped down and faster, but definitely a solid debut. I'd take this over a lot of more popular modern hardcore bands.

12"s

the Ergs- Upstairs/Downstairs
The long awaited 2nd full tength from NJ's own pop-punk masters. A lot of these songs I've known for while between seeing them somewhat often, and from demo versions. Overall, I think DorkRockCorkRod was a little faster, but Upstairs/Downstairs won't disappoint. The last track (Upstairs/Downstairs) is a really long mostly instrumental, which I think is pretty boring. "Books about Miles Davis" would've been a perfect ending track.


Severed Head of State- Power Hazard
Most bands get boring and more predictible with time, not Severed Head of State. The last few 7"s that came out after their "Anathema Device" LP were great. This EP/LP picks up where they were going, but with more songs. With bleak lyrics and crushingly heavy riffs, you can't help but do the crusty fist banging thing. Somehow Severed Head of State write some catchy songs, without being melodic at all.


Bastard- Wind of Pain(boot)
If you're not familiar with Bastard, they're a pretty legendary Japanese hardcore/thrash band. I would put them in a caliber with Gauze, Gism, Lip Cream, etc. This material has been bootlegged a few times before, and with good reason... It rules! This LP had their Wind of Pain LP, as well as their 7" and comp tracks. Japanese hardcore records are usually hard to come by in America as it is, so boolegs have a positive aspect of putting some classic foreign hardcore in American hands. If you're into raging classic styled Japanese hardcore, and don't have this then you're missing out.


V/A- DC Demo's(boot)
My favorite scene of early 80's HC/punk is without a doubt the DC scene. So many classic diverse bands came from there, and this LP combiness 4 of their demos. Void, Artificial Peace, Double O and the Faith. Some of the Void tracks were put on the "Condensed Flesh" 7", and are good but don't match the power of the Faith split. Same goes for the Faith tracks; I think the Faith hit their peak with the "Subject to Change" LP. A lot of the tracks were re-recorded, so it's cool to see where they came from. Most peope are probably only familiar w/ Artificial Peace's awesome contributions to the "Flex Your Head" comp, but they have a ton more material. It was all bootlegged on an LP called "Outside Looking In" on Lost and Found some years back. Either way, these demo tracks all rule, but I think they may have been a pre-AP band called "Assault and Battery," but I can be wrong on that. Double O most people don't know at all. They did a 7", which was half released by Dischord. They evolved from Red C, and incorporated the emo-ish sound of revolution summer, without sounding weak and boring. I actally like these demo tracks more than the 7". I'm done nerding out about harDCore, good luck finding this bad boy.


Subhumans- s/t (boot)
This little gem is by the far superior Canadian band, not the crappy UK Subhumans. The Canadian band had a much more catchy melodic sound. This boot compiles a few 7" and comp tracks, but unfortunately is missing the classic "Death to the Sickoids" 7". These guys recently released an LP of brand new songs on Alternative Tentacles, but what I heard didn't really do anything for me. This LP though compiles some of the band's best material, and would be a great intro to their stuff, which you can probably also find on some mp3 blogs.


V/A- Retro Is Poison
This is a 4-way split between Ciril, Karnpaven Attack, I Object and Active Minds. I had a Ciril CD which I found in a used bin and wasn't super into it. They kinda sound like late 80's California punk, with some crossover influence. Karnvapen Attack are named after a Mob 47 song if I'm not mistaken. They're from Spain and play some hyper fast screamy hardcore punk in the same vein. I Object follow up their awesome LP with these few songs. The songs continue in the same fast hc/punk w/ heavily political lyrics. This is also Ryan's last stuff w/ the band, hopefully their sound won't change too much. This is the newest Active Minds stuff in a long time; they are an old UK political hardcore band. Overall, a pretty solid mix of current politically charged hardcore punk.

CDs

the Horror- The Fear, The Terror, The Horror
The Horror's new CD is killer. If you've been under a rock, the Horror is basically all of Voorhees w/ a different singer. On their earlier records, the singer had a more high pitched voice, but on this it's much deeper and still sounds cool. Definitely still rooted in old school hardcore, but adding some classic rock guitar riffs. Not in an obvious way, but just subtle enough to set them apart from similar styled bands. If you were lucky enough to catch them on their recent tour, you'll know they rip live too.


the Misguided- Fuggets
Similar to the Major Conflict reissue on the same label, this compiles the discography of a little known early 80's NYHC band. I found mine in a used bin without a cover, which is kind of a bummer, so I don't know much of the history of the band. I had mp3s of 2 of their 7"s from an mp3 blog, and those are good. This also has some live and demo tracks. The Misguided kind of remind me of a less raw version of SOA or Urban Waste. A cool compilation by a band that most people aren't too familiar with.


L'Amico Di Martucci/Ozuharu- Collection
So here's a little history lesson on these two bands from Italy. Ozuharu was this band, then they broke up, and members went on to do L'Amico Di Martucci. After that, Ozuharu reformed and did an LP and US tour. Members from both now play in La Piovra, who you may have seen on their US tour last year. L'ADM I was familiar with from their awesome 7" that came out a few years ago on 625. Ozuharu, not so much, but I assumed they were good. This is the early Ozuharu stuff, which is alright, but I think L'ADM are much better. I haven't heard the Ozuharu LP, but I'm sure it's also good. Both bands have a smilar thrashy fast-core, with rock guitar influenced leads. This is a discography for both bands, and you get cover songs of DRI and Anthrax(!).


Imperial Leather- Something Out of Nothing
This Cd came out a while back, but I just found the CD in a used bin. I had heard good things about these guys, so I got their "Antibodies" EP that came out last summer. I liked it, but probably didn't listen to it as much as I should have. Imagine if Turbonegro were less weird, and had a female singer, and you'd more or less get Imperial Leather. Despite it being on Profane Existance, this is more of a rock n roll mixed with older punk sound. This predates "Antibodies," and is almost as good.

Demos
Middle America (cassette)
Saw these guys a few times, and they've always been real fun and played good covers. If these guys were from someplace like VA, more people would know about them. They're from the Lehigh Valley of PA, and share a similar approach as the Gatecrashers, who were from the same area. Fast no frills old sounding hardcore, like the Neos or Die Kreuzen. Recording quality is a little rough, but totally fit their style. This rules, seriously.

Staring Problem (cd)
Real nice packaging on this, and it's an actual pressed CD too. the Jersey Shore's Staring Problem is Andy's (FTD/TIU) new band, and has a somewhat similar sound to other recent shorecore bands. It has elements of old school hardcore, with some heavier parts. The vocals are sung kind of high, and fall flat in certain places. It is a demo, so I'll cut them some slack. Decent first offering, but I'm not really blown away.

Disnihil (cd-r)
Disnihil, from Long Island NY play heavy hardcore, similar to His Hero Is Gone. I guess a more modern equivilant would be somewhere between Celebrity Murders, Deathcycle or Tragedy. This cdr has the demo, plus some live stuff and tracks from their upcoming CD. Has some potential, but lacks the more crusty/Japanese influence that keeps bands like Tragedy interesting. I liked them live when I saw them, so maybe the new stuff is better.

I also got leaked versions of the new albums by Pissed Jeans and Municipal Waste, but I don't feel right reviewing them fully. Pissed Jeans isn't as catchy as "shallow," but if you liked the long heavy pats, you're in luck. All the songs are pretty long, but don't really hold my interest as well. Municipal Waste ups the production level and their ridiculous level. You're not gonna be let down. They also re-recorded an extended version of "Born to Party" from their split w/ Crucial Unit from like 2002.

*this post's been almost a month in the making. I've already got another stack of records to go through, damn!*

Friday the 13th

Despite its bad rep, my Friday the 13th turned out pretty good. My Thursday the 12th wasn't as good, since I got a speeding ticket. Friday was really busy with work, a job interview and a show I set up. I cut out of work an hour and a half early since the job was over an hour away, but I still wound up being late from my interview due to traffic. Interview was good, seems like it'd be an awesome job opportunity, but at this point I know not to get my hopes up too early. After that I had to go back north to New Brunswick, which took another hour. I wound up getting there @ 6, and helped clean up the basement. everything went well, despite me stressing about time. I'm glad everyone seemed to have a good time, and there were no problems. I wish there was an extra half hour, so all the bands could've played longer. Thanks again to Katy for letting me do this. All the bands were super nice, and nobody gave me crap about asking for cash.

BrainDead- Really good modern hardcore. Saw them in FL, and found out they were from NJ/Philly. Thought they'd jive well w/ Ruiner and Hostages. They played really really well tonite too.

Hostages- Not too shabby, I'd never heard them proir to this but their sound was along that same line. A lot of parts seemed to ring out too long and drag, but not bad. I designed one of their shirts also, check it out here.

Disnihil- Not bad, first time seeing/hearing them. They had a His Hero is Gone vibe, maybe Celebrity Murders mixed with Tragedy. It was heavy and fast, but nothing stood out too much.


the Horror- Loved them when I saw them the first time they came to America back in 2003. They were even better tonite, a lot of the new songs have a heavier rock vibe, but still undoubtably hardcore. I felt bad I had to cut their set short, the last block of songs were all off the first 10".


Ruiner- Basically had 15 minutes and did their entire set w/o any breaks. They're probably one of the best, and hardest working current hardcore bands. Black Flag cover was awesome, especially since I've seen Ruiner at least 7 times, and it's only the second time they've done a cover.

thanks again, that was probably my best show so far. I've got another one next weekend on Sat @ Southwest Burrito in NB, NJ, and another one on April 29th @ Rancho Relaxo. Saturday, Wormeaters recorded all the music for our demo. I think like 7 songs, but we still need to do some mixing and record vocals. This week I'm seeing the Vicious Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. Good times!

*I've been taking a ton of pictures lately, but I'm gonna wait to upload them all at once*

new low in record collecting

So recently I've hit a new low point in my record collecting. I was in the Princeton Record Exchange a few weeks ago with Annie, who was visiting from FL. Going through the new arrivals, since I found a few early SST records. Usually if you see a few punk records, it means that someone dropped off a collection. I'm on the second to last box, and some dude comes up and starts leafing through the last box. I wait for him to move and then move to that one, which I saw had good stuff. When I get there, I smell something pretty foul. Annie looks at me, and I swore it wasn't me. So I try to ignore it, and keep browsing figuring the smell would go away. A fart would, but this was no fart... The dude crapped his pants! Now in the grand scheme of things, when someone craps their pants, you try to get as far as possible from them (which Annie was smart enough to do). In my world however, looking through that last box was something I couldn't just give up on. I basically held my breath as long as I could, then ran out of there. Got some decent scores, but I've definitely hit a new low...

7":

The Ergs!- Books About Miles Davis
Unless you've been living under a fucking rock, you know that the Ergs are by far the best pop-punk band out there. This little record is a teaser single for the new LP/CD coming out in a few months. This song has been in their live sets for a while now, so it's nice to finally hear a recorded version finally. The song's a bit slower than some of their other stuff, but the Ergs are so diverse that they can totally pull this off. The majority of it is just guitar and maracas... The B-side is a cover song by someone I'm not familiar with, but sounds pretty cool. Their new LP, Upstairs/Downstairs will be great, I can't wait.


They Live- Blurred
They Live were a band from Buffalo, who released a bunch of records in the late 90's/early 00's. Their sound is close to Infest, mixed w/ some fast Japanese thrash. This record was recorded way back in 1998, but was never released (until now of course), and the lineup is kinda weird since it's only 2 of the members, but it still rips. They Live were really great, but I think this may be the only thing still available. It makes for a great starting point, plus the fucking Turning Point cover is worth it. I'm glad I'm not the only one w/ a huge soft spot for good youth crew HC. Someone needs to put together a discography CD for these guys.


Reason Of Insanity- Live on WFMU
ROI have a bunch of records out, but unfortunately none of those are in my collection. This being my first experience with them, I'm really into it. These songs were recorded live on the radio in NJ, but I'm fairly certain that they didn't play a show here. They're songs are real fast dirty old school hardcore thrash, and the quality is pretty good for a live set. They do a Zero Boys cover, which is a little sloppy, but still fun. Interesting fun fact is that Brandon from Government Warning/ Direct Control plays drums on these tracks. It's a limited to 300 pressing, so good luck finding it, the label's already out of copies.


Let Down- Crossed Off
I saw these guys in Philly a few weeks ago, and thought they were pretty good (despite horrible sounding equipment), had a real good old school hardcore sound. First of all, the record itself looks awesome, with a 2 color silk screened cover, which folds out in 3 panels. It's almost a shame it had to be folded. What you're getting is 4 really pissed off straight edge hardcore songs. Before modern sxe hardcore became emo lyrics with mosh parts, there were bands who wanted to play hard and fast. This really reminds of Shark Attack or No Justice, and I'd like to see these guys real soon.


CTS- s/t
There's a good chance you've never heard of CTS or their awesome demo tape, which came out in 2003 or 4. They basically didn't play out of the upstate NY area, so I'm surprised they landed on my radar at some point. I loved their demo, and this is just a vinyl re-pressing of that demo. The recording sounds a little brighter even, maybe it was remixed or remastered. The songs are super lo-fi old DC sounding hardcore, but with a slight modern thrash sound. Kinda reminds me of the Slogan Boy 7", which came out a few years ago. It's cool that their demo is on vinyl, though the cover art isn't as cool.


Tangled Lines- Wash The Shit Off
I saw this band recently on tour w/ I Object, which I suppose is a fairly good comparison. Like I Object, they have a female singer and sing about social issues over some fast hardcore. The music has more of a youth crew style with harmonics, and the singer's voice is a much higher pitch. I like the group vocals, and start and stop parts. There's an intro song, which I remember not really liking live also, but the rest of the songs have some real cool fast singalong thrashy hardcore. They've got some more records out, but this was a limited tour 7" (or at least a limited tour version). Oh yea, they wore matching outfits live, which was adorable.


The Trouble- Live at the Rat
DUDE, the Trouble is(was) so fucking good. You may know of them since their singer went on to sing in Panic, but the Trouble has a more punk influence, kinda like the Pist. This record is 4 live tracks from back in 1997, and the quality is really good. If you haven't heard "Nobody Laughs Anymore," their LP, you're really missing out. I don't know how you can get this record, since it's a limited promo dealie, but do yourself a favor and check out the Trouble.

LP:

Bury The Living- All the News That's Fit To Scream
I had recently stumbled upon a few BTL records in some used bins and other places, and liked what I heard. They've been around for a while and seem to have a bunch of records out, this LP being the newest one. Their sound is heavy (but not metal) fast hardcore, which has a similar quality to the Holy Mountain but with a more stripped down Deathreat styled approach. Must be something about Memphis, TN that turns out the most surprisingly good HC bands. They recently broke up and reformed, so hopefully they'll tour again.

CD:

The Unlovables- Crush, Boyfriend, Heartbreak
I got this from the same label that I ordered the new Ergs 7" from. I figured I was ordering stuff anyway. might as well check it out. All I knew was that it was a band from NY w/ Mike Erg and a female singer. The songs are super poppy sugary pop-punk, kinda like the Muffs or maybe the Dollyrots. This kind of stuff I have to be in a mood for, it's good though. I'm just not always in the mood for really happy pop music. It's good, and I'd be interested in hearing more.

demo:
Seasick- Drug Vacation demo (cd-r)
Seasick is a local NJ band, who I've seen since their beginning and various lineup changes. They started out as a fairly standard modern sounding thrash band, but this demo they've add a more melodic touch to their songs. Sorta reminds me of Paint It Black, with some Propaghandi influence. The lyrics are still political, and the songs are still fast, but there's a heaviness to the guitar riffing too (plus a blatantly stolen Bad Brains breakdown). What's really cool about this demo is that there's a full live set at the end; it's not often you get a 20 minute long demo. The playing isn't too tight, but I think they rushed to record before tour. I still don't know what a "drug vacation" is.


I NEED MORE DEMOS! I love hearing new bands, and I try to review everything I get...

American Hardcore DVD review

After reading the book of the same name, I wasn't exactly about to go out of my way to see the movie. The book was loaded with opinions, one-sided arguments and inaccuracies; the movie naturally was full of the same. It seemed like certain topics, like the violence and craziness overshadowed the more positive aspects of hardcore. Straight edge and women's roles in the scene were merely glanced at. Notable problems were the lack of any Misfits or Dead Kennedys content, and the inclusion of DOA (who are from Canada) and way too much on the Cro Mags (who suck). I'm sure some of it due to legal reasons, but they were in the book so I don't see why not include anything. There was a lot on the NY scene, which didn't really take off until after they claim HC died, or maybe the NYHC scene killed it. It also seemed like they directors wee playing favorite with who's stories were told, since it seemed like certain people were always talking. There was also some poor editing decisions, which cut off stories before they ended. I also thought it was weird that certain people's credits under their name were omitting bands of worthy mention. For example it said "Brian Baker: Minor Threat," what about Dag Nasty and Bad Religion?

My biggest gripe is that (like in the book), they stated the fact that hardcore died in 1986. I mean if that's true, what have I been doing with my life for the past 10+ years? You look at the footage of Black Flag, SSD and DYS from their later eras, and could see why people would lose interest. Here it is in 2007, and that stuff still sucks, but their earlier stuff still sounds awesome. They try to blame the fact that they were losing interest and writing shitty music on the scene dying away. If hardcore was dead, why would anybody know who these people were or care about this "documentary?"

The bonus features had some of the live footage, deleted scenes and footage of the opening party in Toronto. The live footage was all stuff shown in the movie, except in its entirety, of course I would have wanted more... The deleted scenes are interesting, but not skippable, so you need to watch it all the way through. Plus it seems like the deleted scenes got cut out too. There is a pretty funny moment w/ Vinnie Stigma and Jimmy Gestapo at NYHC tattoo at the end. There's also a director's commentary, which I am reluctant to give a chance.

Despite all its problems, it was an alright movie. I think you'd need a lot more than an hour and a half to cover the history of hardcore, but I'd be willing to watch that DVD. There would need to be a lot more live footage, and it would need to cover all the important states and their bands with more live footage. American Hardcore probably won't open people's eyes to hardcore who weren't already into it, but at least the soundtrack to the movie makes for a pretty decent mix tape.

more reviews

Looks like this block of reviews has a nice chunk of Clevo hardcore represented. I recently saw the Inmates and the Darvocets somewhere in Brooklyn, as well as the Homostupids somewhere else in Brooklyn. For some reason the Clevo scene seems to not only produce great bands, but all the bands seem to stay around for a while, and resurface occasionally. I also got to see the Formaldehyde Junkies last week, which was great since I really liked their records but it didn't seem like they'd ever play locally. They were really good and tight, even with a "scab" lineup (consisting of 1/2 of the Retainers).
My main focus in doing reviews is to maybe hilight good stuff for people, but at the same time it's a good representation of what I'm currently listening to. I don't get any of these for free from the labels, I've paid for all of these (except the FTW records), which is why the majoriy of the reviews are positive. Here's some poorly written reviews...

7":

Moderat Likvidation- Marionett I Kedjor
I forgot to review this in the last reviews block. Recently Havoc repressed 3 7"s and a discography of this band, Moderat Likvidation. In the world of crusty raw Swedish punk, I guess this is a pretty big deal. I'd never heard of them, but Mr. Havoc recommended this one. It's pretty good, kind of like Discharge mixed with Blitz, and maybe Crucifix. However, this band is for the early 80's, so they were contemporaries of those bands. Pretty cool, I'd be interested in hearing more. I did find out that there was some error on the labels, so maybe the stuff I'm listening to isn't what it is. Hard to tell, since it's not in English...


Retainers- Teenage Regrets
Saw these guys last week in Philly, and they were really good. Some pretty rockin fuzzed out garage rock/punk. I wish I had something to compare it to, but the production is real rugged, like some early classic HC. The music, however is a little more like some stripped down rock. Pretty good... I'm into it.


Step Forward- 10 Song EP
Some serious member cred (Mental, Mind Eraser, Stop And Think, Have Heart, Cold World, Down But Not Out, etc...), which in no way appeals to me, but they crank out some awesome straight edge jams. It seems like most modern day edge bands lost the speed and ferocious nature that bands like SSD and Youth of Today had. This band breaks that mold, and kicks out 10 fast and pissed off straight edge songs. I have a huge soft spot for sXe bands that don't suck, and this definitely fits in that category.


Scapegoat- s/t
Boston's Scapegoat has a similar hardcore sound to fell Boston band, Mind Eraser. They remind me of Dropdead and Crossed Out, pretty fast heavy power violence hardcore. The guitar tone has a real metal tone to it, which I'm not that into, but this shows a lot of potential.


Homostupids- Brutal Birthday
I saw these guys a few weeks ago, and they were really good. Live it sounded kinda like some late 70's garage punk. This record is pretty weird, it's one sided, and there's like 8 short songs. The music's got a lot of overdubs and just weird noises, I don't know. I liked them a lot live, and I hear their other 7" is good. Maybe this was something experimental, but I'd be willing to give them another try. People who like Clock Cleaner or Pissed Jeans will be into this. Oh yea, and the bass player used to sing in 9 Shocks Terror (RIP).


The Freeze- Guilty Face
Another classic reissue. I really loved the Freeze's contribution on the classic "This is Boston Not L.A." compilation, but only really listened to random other stuff. This seems to be part of a series of Freeze reissues on Schizophrenic Records (I Hate Tourists 7" and a Live record are out too). This record was recorded after the comp tracks I believe and have that same feel to them. The Freeze stood out from the other bands, and seemed to have a more British influenced sound. Still sounds great, and will probably disappear as fast as the original pressing.

12":

Inmates- Assholes Unanimous
Now THIS is what hardcore should be more like. Fast, pissed, degenerate assholes playing hardcore the right way. Musically it's got an early Agnostic Front feel, plus they're from Cleveland, so they have members of about 40 bands in there. The singer's got a quasi-British accent, but it adds to the great weirdness of it all. This record came out in like 1999 or something, and got repressed by the wonderful folks at Painkiller Records (but is now out of print on vinyl, so get the CD). "Cement Shoes" is quite possibly one of the best HC songs ever...fuck!


Cider- They Are The Enemy
This was a 7" that just got repressed as a 12" with some extras. The music is real distorted punk rock, which isn't super fast but stil rages. Something like Negative Approach mixed with the H-100's sound. Another Clevo all-star lineup, which fits well with the Inmates LP, possibly the same singer.


Rabies- Test Your Might
I really loved their 7" that came out last year, so I jumped when this was finally available. Rabies play some fast skate punk with lots of mid paced beats, and noodly guitar leads. The noodly weird parts are cool in short supply, but on an LP I want to hear more of a balance between weird and just old skate-core. Maybe with the 7" being shorter it seemed fresher, but this is still a great LP from these young go-getters. If you're into current shit like ANS or earlier Bones Brigade, or the classic old Nardcore stuff, check it out.


Propaghandi- Today's Empires, Tomorrow's Ashes
I know this is old, but I just got it and it's still in print. I found it in a Hot Topic 1/2 off clearance section for $2. Say what you want about Hot Topic, but you can get some serious scores in the clearance, especially when they have the 1/2 off the already 1/2 off prices. Anyway, I wrote this band off as a more politically inclined NOFX sounding band based off some of their early releases and songs on the Fat Wreck Chords comps. I was recommended this recently, and it sounds pretty good. They still have a NOFX/D4 sound to them, but there's some fast thrashier components added in. The political angle is a lot more prevalent, and there is a giant book of political essays. Maybe if you were on the fence about this band, and see this for $2 you should take a chance.


Forward- Burn Down the Corrupted Justice
This also came out a few years ago, but I recently got it on vinyl and figure this is a good opportunity to talk about how cool Forward is. If you're remotely into Japanese hardcore, you should know who they are, they've been around forever. Some of the members were in the legendary band, Death Side. It combines all the best elements of Japanese thrash: fast, distorted, completely insane, broken english lyrics. I got the CD version when they came through on tour in 2004, and the LP (US pressing) has a different cover, and a weird collage insert, but the same tracks. Mine also came on this colored vinyl that looks like a funfetti cupcake. It literally doesn't get any better.

CDs:

Darvocets- Have Landed...
This is a discography of some sort for the Darvocets, who are from Clevo err... the planet Darvon. Their singer reminds me a lot of the Crucifucks singer, and all their songs have the theme of aliens and stuff like that. The music's some good old school styled KBD hardcore, that's real catchy. Their 7" came out in 1996, and they released a 1 sided LP a little while back; both are out of print. I hear they're breaking up, but who knows... Check this out, it's also got some live tracks.


YDI- Out For Blood
YDI were probably the most notable classic HC band from Philly, DC had Minor Threat, the Midwest had Negative Approach, Philly had YDI. This compiles their demo, the Place in the Sun 7", and the Black Dust LP. The LP is kinda weird, it's like they tried going a little more metal, but it's honestly not as bad as most early 80's bands that tried going for that sound. This discography rules, it's some classic hardcore that more people need to be familiar with. They sill occasionally play shows too!



For The Worse- The Chaos Continues + Blood Guts, Going Nuts
I recently got the 7" and the CD version of the Chaos Continues, which for some reason has different songs. For the Worse has the classic Boston sound, like SSD and Slapshot, and I even get some Last in Line sounds there. I can imagine this band straddling the lines between more old school hardcore, and the more tough sounding stuff. The songs are short, fast, and totally rage. Some weird songs in the mix on both records, but there's 18 on Chaos, and 23 on Blood Guts, which is how every CD should be. I hate getting CDs and there's only like 12 songs, you can fit a ton on there. Anyway, For the Worse rule, and I'm siked to get to see them on Sunday. I can imagine their live shows being insane.

I'm always getting new stuff, but I try to review stuff that are possibly to buy still. I did however recently acquire Steve Martin and the Toot Uncommons- "King Tut" single last week. Some classic KBD there... ha ha.

oh yea, while I have you attention, my band the Wormeaters put a song from a practice session online. Check it out at:
http://myspace.com/wormeaters
I think it sounds like the singer of Gism w/ the music of Negative Approach (see also: Mental Abuse, Agnostic Front, Gauze, Lip Cram, YDI)

TIFY record round-up

So TIFY fest was a fucking blast. Saw a bunch of bands I like, and saw a bunch more that I normally wouldn't check out. That's the cool things about fests like this, it's so diverse and you can see bands that normally wouldn't play shows together. The posters I made went over extremely. I printed up 270 (despite being numbered out of 250, but oh well...), and only had like 25 left. I guess it helped that I had a hot merch girl to help me sell them (Thanks Annie). I traded a lot of them for band's merch, which definitely curbed my spending. I also traded with basically anybody who wanted, so I got a lot of stuff I probably wouldn't normally pick up. I would up with a huge stack of records, and enough shirts to last a week. There's some pictures on my website, but obviously I couldn't take pics of every band...

LPs

Skate Korpse- s/t (discography)
Skate Korpse was a band from upstate NY, who put out a 7" during their existence and some limited singles after their demise. It kind of seemed that as people got wind of them, they broke up. I'm glad I got to see them at the fest, and that this discography was made. They remind me a lot of Agent Orange, with the surfy guitars, but also have a skate punk vibe, like JFA. The covers are screen printed, and the labels are stamped so it looks real cool. Definitely some great stuff, even if you never got into them when they were around.



the Vicious- Alienated + s/t
The Vicious came out of nowhere with the Obsessive 7" over the summer. It turns out they have a 7" and a 12" EP before that, which were only released in Europe. Their singer is the bass player for Regulations, and they have a similar old punk approach. The Vicious specialize in the jangley guitar punk sound. I was lucky to find their s/t 12" in a shitty local record store, and it totally rules, super catchy. The brand new 12"- Alienated just came out in December, and is a great follow up to everything they've released so far. Probably the best LP you'll buy, there's a pressing on Feral Ward, so it should be easy to find.


I Accuse/ Hummingbird of Death
It's good to see I Accuse back after what seems like a long break since that awesome 7" they put out 2 years ago. The songs are a little bit more structured, but still fast and angry as hell. Great looking cover illustration. Don't know much about Hummingbird of Death, but they're really fast. I guess they could be classified as thrashcore, but with some heavier power violence guitar tones. Well balanced split, thrashaholics take note.


Black SS- Foreign Object
I liked Black SS' 7" that came out a while back, but wasn't incredibly motivated to check out any of the splits and the LP. That was until I finally saw them at the fest. Real energetic fast hardcore, the singer's voice reminds me of Choke (Slapshot/ Last Rights/ Negative FX). This LP is the same as that CD from almost a year ago. It's got some cover songs at the end, which I'm not sure was on the CD version. Great gate fold cover and highly recommended for fans of more aggressive old school hardcore.


Baroness- Second
First of all, this record looks beautiful. Cover art aside, this has a laser etched B-side and clear vinyl. Musically, you get 3 ragers of dark and brooding heavy stoner hardcore. Not generally my bag, but they do it well.


Radical Attack- Priority
Radical Attack seem to straddle the line of fastcore and moshcore. Sonically they always reminded me of XfilesX, by being sXe and playing fast hardcore with mosh parts. Pretty good angry Canadian hardcore, there's a bunch of songs too, eh?


Lion of Judah- Universal Peace
While normally this type of stuff doesn't appeal to me, they really impressed me live. They remind me of Bad Brains, mixed with Underdog and Burn. They'd probably be lumped in with your average mosh friendly band, but they've got some great weird parts to keep it interesting.


Pulling Teeth- Vicious Skin
This is the new project by members of the Spark and the Slumlords. I got their demo last year, and liked it, it was kinda heavy, but didn't really cross too far into the metal realm. This 10" on the other hand does cross into the metal realm. but at the same time keeps it in the hardcore world. The main thing is that the vocals aren't deep and growling, Mike still sounds the same as on the Spark's recording, he just yells more. To some that may be their downfall, to me it's their saving grace. It fits into the small niche of "good metal hardcore."


Tristess- Vad Sak Vi Bli?
Picking up where the 7" left off, scroll down to see the review of that. This Swedish rock and roll machine crank out more catchy rock influenced punk. It's almost got a Chuck Berry/ Buddy Holly sound but mixed with the Ramones or something. I think the only thing that'd make this better is if it were in English. Still rock though...


Harpoon Guns- 12" EP
Woah, where did this come from? Some really awesome AOD sounding old school thrash hardcore. Seriously, I was totally surprised on this one. I got it in a trade w/ Rabies, since they ran out of their 12"s. Not sure if it has any shared members, or just local friends. I know they put out a 7" a while back, I may need to find it, cuz this is real good.


Pedestrians- Ideal Divide
I enjoyed Pedestrians previous releases, their mid tempo early 80's California sound was a welcome change. I think the slower pace of their songs is what sets them apart from the pack, but on this record it just seems like all the songs have the same pace, and I found it pretty boring. I'll give it a few more spins, but nothing jumped out and grabbed me.


Requiem- Storm Heaven
First of all, this album looks great. the cover is in 2 panels, and has a die-cut of the album title, which shows through to red paper on the insert. Requiem features a few members of Catharsis, an anarchist metallic hardcore band. Requiem picks up where Catharsis left off, and incorporate more diverse sounds into the mix. There's violin on more than a few tracks, which is pretty cool. If you were into Catharsis, definitely give this a try. I think this would also appeal to young crusty hardcore kids, who are into Tragedy and political heavy hardcore punk.


Poison Idea- Latest Will and Testament
Poison Idea has a new album out? yea! Is it good? yea! After Pig Champion's death last year, I heard a rumor that they recorded a new LP before he died. I didn't really think much of it, until I saw this. It's more in line with the "Feel the Darkness" era of Poison Idea, so it's got some great guitar parts, but is still pretty punk sounding. A really great come back, I hear they're going to tour this year. RIP PIG.

EPs


About to Snap- s/t (demo) + Already Dead
One of my favorite new bands from the fest was Canada's About To Snap. Their sound is similar to bands like Negative Approach, Voorhees and 97a. Fast/ angry raging hardcore. The s/t is their demo, pressed onto a 1 sided 7". The songs are listed as numbers, and it seems like they only had 2 members on this, so maybe the band started as a project of sorts. The Already Dead 7" takes that sound and refines it to it's best form.


Set to Explode- s/t
This is the new band with the singer from Striking Distance. I think there are some similarities, but I think STE have more of an early hardcore punk sound. Still sounds pissed, maybe a hybrid of SSD and Minor Threat. What's not to like?


Warkrime- Give War a Chance
No Way Records blasts out another rager. CA's Warkrime drop off some raging fast thrash, similar to Verbal Abuse and Deadfall, with a little bit of Adolescents snottiness. The music is real snotty as a matter of fact. The artwork has a real cut and paste look, as opposed to the fake photoshoppy cut and paste look on some modern records. The insert is almost impossible to read, but it kinda fits the sloppy I don't give a fuck attitude on the whole record.



How We Are- s/t + Black SS split
How we are seems to straddle a genre, where they could be a hardcore band like Have Heart or Verse, or just be a good screamo band. Not too bad, not something I'd check out on my own, but pretty cool. On the surface I guess the split w/ Black SS is weird, both bands straddle sub-genres and meet at a hardcore center. It's cool that bands like this can come together on a piece on vinyl, and expose people to different interpretations of the same form of music.


I Accuse/ Life Set Struggle
What's this, a new Life Set Struggle 7", but they broke up 2 years ago? Yea, so either this was unreleased stuff, or they're back together. Either way it's cool. I wouldn't have thought to match these 2 bands, but they both fit will. LSS play fast hardcore with cues from some skate core. I Accuse plays fast hardcore with cues from some power violence. This is a tour pressing that I have, hopefully the real version will come w/ lyrics and explain more as to the status of the LSS songs.


Brody's Militia- Tribute Through Butchery
This is a record consisting of cover songs. I guess something like this would be a bad introduction to this band. From the cover selection, I can assume they're probably influenced by heavy power violence era hardcore. Their Circle Jerks cover falls a little flat, but I'd be interested in hearing some of their own material.


Conversions-
Pretty good female fronted thrashy hardcore. I was a fan of some of the members previous bands, so I figured I'd check it out. Plus I have a huge soft spot for female fronted hardcore/punk bands. It's got a lot of cool start and stop parts, but nothing stuck out too memorably. Good first release, with a lot of potential to do something great.


Police & Thieves- s/t
A lot of times bands will try to tell yu they sound like Dag Nasty, and they never do. This band really does remind me of bands like Dag Nasty and Swiz, they're even from DC. Melodic hardcore, with some slow parts and youth crew-esque backups. This record is really great.


Blackbirds- s/t
Pretty cool stuff here. Imagine if for stripped out all the annoying crappy parts of American Nightmare and Outbreak, and mixed them with some mordern day thrash, and you'll get Blackbirds. Definitely will appeal to fans of more modern hardcore, but want it FAST.


Braindead-
These guys are apparently from NJ, so I thought it was weird that the first time I saw them was in FL. Pretty good hardcore, similar to bands like Ruiner, but with more poppy background. Good sing along and mosh parts; I'm surprised this band isn't playing locally as much as they seem to be touring. Not really my thing, but they're pretty cool.


Sick of Talk-
Whether they're named after the Negative Approach song or the Infest some doesn't matter, since they sound like both. There's a strong NYHC influence here also. Not a bad first record, but I'd rather hear less of the NYHC mosh, and more punk. The art is screen printed on the backs of leftover Horror record covers,



Ratbyte- + Concrete Facelift split
Ratbyte play stripped down speedy skate core. The songs are fairly short and simple, not bad, just not really ground breaking. I can see potential for this band to be really awesome live, but the recordings kind of fall flat. Concrete Facelift are similar in their skating influence. They seem to have more of a Suicidal Tendencies sound to them, which is kinda cool. Both bands are ok, if you're into the whole skate thrash thing.


Cross Examination- the Hung Jury
Crossover metal influenced hardcore. Very similar to Municipal Waste, with the songs about partying and other weird stuff. Pretty fun, especially if you're into goofy thrash and partying.



ANS- Heinous + My Revenge split
Heinous is a 1 sided 7", with a screened B side and 1 long song on the A side. The song's ok, it looks like ANS is adding a little more metal, like the Bones Brigade did. Nothing too mind blowing, but not bad either. Aside from My Revenge being possibly one of the worst bands, the split is ok. More metal riffage here too, I heard they got a new guitar player recently. I don't mind them going in more crossover direction, but the skate punk stuff I liked better.


Static Radio (NJ)- One For The Good Guys
From my home state of NJ, this is Static Radio's Chunksahh debut. They play fast melodic HC punk, similar to Kid Dynamite and Paint It Black (and similar associated bands). Their approach is a lot faster, and they were able to cram 5 songs on this 1 sided 7". They're on tour now, check em out.


Burial- s/t
Despite having some Japanese lettering on the cover, this band is from Germany. They play a style of hardcore similar to Tragedy and the Holy Mountain. Real good, this is a reissue of their first 7", but check out their LP and newer 7". It's all good, but this 7" is a little weak compared to the more recent stuff.


Tristess- Bara Rock n Roll
I really knew nothing about this ban before buying this. It has a member of Regulations, and is on Kick n Punch so I figured it has to be pretty decent. The lyrics are all in Swedish (?) but catchy as hell. It has a real old rock vibe to it, mixed with some stripped down punk sensibilities.


Severed Head of State- Charge Ahead
SHOS charge us with 3 more anthems. This came out a little while ago, but is a perfect companion to the Fucking Butchery 7". If those 2 recent 7"s are any indication of how the new Severed Head of State LP is going to be, then we're in for another classic. If you've only heard SHOS' early stuff and wasn't into it (like me), pick up some of the more recent EPs and you'll be convinced.


CDs

Ambitions- Question
Apparently this has ex-members of With Honor, which means nothing to me. It reminds me of bands like Saves the Day (1st CD), Gorilla Biscuits/CIV, and maybe a little Fastbreak. Melodic youth crew hardcore, pretty enjoyable if you're into that sort of thing.


Cross Examination/ Spring Break!- Super Party Brothers
I got a CDr of this at the fest, but this isn't out yet. The Cross Examination tracks are reminiscent of Crucial Unit and Municipal Waste. Pretty humorous (not serious) crossover metal, with "party" themed hardcore. Spring Break's stuff is a little less on the crossover, and more on the metal. Pretty ridiculous, but definitely fun. The ending of the Cross Exam side is too ridiculous to describe.


Demos
Sick Fix (cassette)
I really liked these guys at the fest, and their demo is really good too. I would recommend it to people who like Infest, Look Back and Laugh, and I Object. Really fast chaotic sXe hardcore with a female singer. Looking forward to more from them.

Socialcide (cassette)
This is one of my favorite recent demos. Some speedy old sounding hardcore, there's even a sweet White Cross cover at the end. The bass player from Wasted Time sings in this, but I think it has a more raw punk sound than WT. Real good recording quality, I want more.

Overdose (CDr)
This demo came packaged in a cool cardboard cover, w/ stenciled art on the front. Looks cool, sound reminds me of maybe Bracewar(?). I'm not a huge fan, but I'm sure people will be way into this.

Sick of Talk (CDr)
3 new songs recorded before they left for the fest, but they were unfortunately unable to play. The sound is a lot brighter than the 7", and the songs are a lot tighter. Not a fan of their NYHC leanings, but if you liked the 7", you'll love this.

Wild and Crazy Kids (CDr)
With a name like that, I wasn't expecting too much. The demo starts off with a Tear It Up sounding intro. The rest of the songs however just scream generic thrash. Granted, I'd rather hear generic thrash than generic metal core. It's really nothign special, but keep it fast, and keep it punk.


*I wanted to make an amendment to the Best of 2006 post, but I want to replace the Sleeper Cell LP with the SU/DC split LP. That Sleeper Cell LP was super delayed, and wound up coming out long after the band broke up, but it's fucking incredible. There's a few ex-Sleeper Cell bands kicking around now like Poison Control, Social Circkle and the Conversions.*

Top 5 Records of 2006

I figured since a good part of this blog (and my life) is taken up by talk about records. Most music publications do these top records of the year. I can proudly say that I have neither heard or own any of Rolling Stone's top 50 albums.

Best LPs of 2006:

1. Government Warning- No Moderation
2. Career Suicide- Attempted Suicide
3. Tragedy- Nerve Damage
4. Strung Up / Direct Control- split LP
5. Criminal Damage- s/t

It may be a bold statement, but "No Moderation" may be the best HC/punk LP I've heard in the 10+ years I've been listening to hardcore/punk. It's seriously flawless. The new Career Suicide is pretty great, though I know a lot of people said it was too fast for them. Still raw and catchy as hell, I think the real version is remixed so it may sound different than the version I have (summer tour pressing). Tragedy continues where "Vengeance" left off, and take their sound to another level. The SU/DC split has some of Direct Control's best stuff, but the Strung Up side is just ok. Criminal Damage was a nice little surprise, which snuck in some British sounding punk.

Best EPs of 2006:

1. Deep Sleep- "You're Screwed"
2. the Vicious- "Obsessive"
3. Positive Reinforcement- s/t (1 sided LP)
4. Rabies- "Disease-Core"
5. Blank Stare- both s/t 7"s

Damn, it was a real toss up for the #1 slot. The Vicious are ridiculously good, but there's only 4 songs, compared to Deep Sleep's 9 songs. The Deep Sleep 7" is really great and listens like an LP. I talked to the singer recently and they're going to start playing shows again. What can I say about the Vicious, fucking great old twangy punk. The PosiForce 1 sided LP I'm counting as an EP, because it's like 6 songs and could've probably fit on a 7". I'm also combining Blank Stare's two self titled 3 song 7"s as one giant 6 song 7". Rabies are some young kids, who know what they're doing when it comes to playing skate-core.

Best Comps:
EP: No Bullshit Vol. 1 / 2
LP: Public Safety

At first I just listed No Bullshit Vol. 1, but fuck it these comps are great. I hear version 3's lineup is already set, and I'm looking forward to a ton of great comps on great current hardcore bands. Speaking of great current hardcore bands, Public Safety gives a great sampling of current US and world hardcore/punk. Best thing about both of this is that the songs on here are exclusive to the comp release. A lot of comps these days are basically label samplers with songs off the albums the label puts out. These comps aren't trying to sell anything, just get good music into people ears.

Looking forward to: new Ergs LP- "Upstairs/Downstairs," new Ruiner LP, new Vicious LP (it's already out, but I don't have it yet) and US tour, my band(s) recording demos, seeing foreign bands come to America to play basements, more old school hardcore influenced bands, the Cro Mags worship trend turning into the Infest worship trend.

There were a shitload of great records that came out this year, as well as awesome shows an tours. If you're still trying to complain that there's no good shows and there's no good records, you're not making the effort. Or by the same sentiment, start a band that's better, or book some shows. I did both...

Now stop reading, you've got some records to buy.

records > people

So this will be the last round of record reviews until the new year. I still plan a "Best of 2006" post though... Most of these were obtained at Circle Pit Fest, and recent shows.

EPs:

Blank Stare- s/t (refuse)
Blank Stare is a band from Boston, who doesn't like naming their 7"s. You may have noticed in recent months that MRR reviewed their 2 newest 7"s (both self titled) like 5 times. Much like the one on Third Party records, this has 3 songs of political/social conscious lyrics fast hardcore. It's nice to see edge bands tackle social topics, and not the standard topics about their crew or being stabbed in the back. They're also great live.




No Comply/ XbrainiaX
A split rager of power violence goodness, which is literally split between 6 record labels. Both bands are definitely a part of the power violence revival that is coming/here. No Comply is actually from the mid-90's and either reformed or maybe this is unreleased stuff. Either way, their side isn't all that great. A spelling error on the front along w/ a Septic Deth parody that's been done a million times before. Musically, it just feels like it's missing something (guitar maybe?). It's ok, but just doesn't do much for me. XbrainiaX, on the other hand sounds pretty awesome, and cram like 11 songs on their half (which by the way has some rad art). If you're familiar with XbX's 7" with 31 songs, you won't be let down by this. Fast raging hardcore that's over before you even think about starting to circle pit. I think the power violence resurgence recently is pretty awesome, but really lacks something w/o the wacky samples between songs.


No Bullshit vol. 2
It's really awesome that there's a compilation series to look forward to. Volume 1 was incredible, and Volume 2 is no slouch either. This time you get Social Circkle, Rabies, Warkrime, Wasted Time, Cardiac Arrest, and Brian Handle. Social Circkle and Wasted Time both re-record songs from their demo, and the other ones are new to me. All the bands really do well at paying homage to the great early 80's hardcore scene. Best song is the Rabies one, but there's really no losers here. Also, the first pressing sold out in 2 days, I was lucky enough to get one at the fest the other week. Can't wait for Vol. 3!


Social Circkle- Static Eyes
Social Circkle are from Boston, and play old punk that sounds like it's from the early 80's Cali scene. Bands like the Germs and Angry Samoans come to mind. There's only 4 songs, and 2 of them were on the demo. It's ok, because that demo ruled. The demo, however, had like 8 songs which is kind of a let down to only get 2 new ones on this. I mean either way they're great songs, but I just want more.


Fastbreak- Don't Stop Trying
This record is old, 10 years old really. I'm not sure if this repress is in honor of that, but maybe it should have. It's basically just a straight repress of the old version done by the same label. I mean, the songs are great, but maybe a little story on the insert about how many were pressed alltogether, where the band/ members went. It's a great record, which I just never got around to picking up before, so I'm glad it's available again.


Dustheads- Tall Tales I
I've seen the Dustheads a few times, sometimes I like them and sometimes I don't. Musically they're somewhere between Annihilation Time and the better stuff by the Suicide File. Basically heavy fast hardcore, with a big stoner rock n roll influence. For me, I only really enjoy that type of stuff if I'm in the mood for it (since I'm not a "stoner"). There's only 3 songs on here, but I'll be looking forward to Tall Tales II.



La Piovra- s/t (one sided LP) + Risacca b/w Danni Collaterali
La Piovra came around here on tour recently, and I picked up these 2 records. Their sound is similar to bands like the Young Wasteners or Positive Reinforcement, with an old school hc/punk sound. The vocals are a little more aggressive, and the guitars have a slight rock edge to them. I saw them 3 times on their tour, and they were better and better each time. Visually both records look great, the LP has an awesome screen printing of octopus tentacles, and the cover a big heavy paper with more octopus. The 7" I believe is somewhat limited for the tour, but if you've seen them, this one has the song with the sweet "Turning Japanese" rip-off intro. I'm really glad I got to see them, because prior to going to the shows, I didn't really know what I was in for. One of the things that makes the DIY touring network so great is that you get exposed to rad bands, like this.

LPs:

Maximum Rock N Roll presents: Public Safety
Ok, so this compilation is basically a perfect representation of the great international current hardcore/punk scene. This is also the first MRR compilation in a while, and the first international comp since "Welcome to 1984." I even comes with a booklet insert, with one page dedicated to each band. I really hope this becomes a series, because this is really awesome. Perfect for people who love the current hardcore scene, or people who are jaded and complain that there's no good bands anymore. Standout tracks are by: Direct Control, Sleeper Cell, Career Suicide, Regulations, Observers, Limp wrist, but they're all seriously real good.


SS Decontrol- Get It Away
Yea, this is old, it's a classic, we all know It's great. This is a recent bootlegging, and a damn good one at that. Pretty much damn near perfect reproduction of the original. The sound quality is great too, much better than the crappy mp3s I've had of this. Unfortunately for some reason, a legit repress has never happened for SSD which has opened the flood gates for tons of bootlegs. The only legit SSD is that "power" CD on Taang, and it leaves much to be desired. I'm curious if the same person did the boot of the This Is Boston, Not LA a few years ago, because that was also really well done. I guess now with mp3s, and music editing software easy to obtain, maybe there will be a rise in good quality boots.


For Science- Revenge For Hire
For Science (formerly known as Skynet) is from my home area of New Brunswick, NJ. I've seen them numerous times, and was never really into them. They always played really sloppy/ drunk live, but on this CD they sound awesome. The songs are similar to good pop-punk, like Screeching Weasel, the Queers, or any stuff from lookout's hey day. Recommended for fans of NJ favorites, the Ergs, or just good catchy punk songs. They just recorded a new album, which I hear is great, and are now on their 3rd (maybe more) lineup.

DEMOs:
Acid Reflux (cassette)
WOW, saw these guys a few weeks ago in a basement, and damn were they awesome. They've got a whole F.U.'s / This Is Boston Not LA / Verbal Abuse sound, and it's super fast. The lyrics are really pretty juvenile in the best kind of way: "I just want to be a punk, I just wanna have some fun." I just heard that No Way Records is pressing this demo on a 7", so you may want to wait until that comes out since it'd be easier to obtain. Oh yea, their drummer is/was in Limp Wrist.

Paper Dragons (CDr)
Baltimore's Paper Dragons features 1/2 of the Spark, and members from Never Enough and Bad Business. Musically I get some poppy hooks, maybe like the Adolescents. I also get a slight Fugazi vibe, but the sound is more along the likes of poppy early 80's punk. Pretty catchy stuff, I'm looking forward to hearing more.

Circle Pit Fest (day 2) in Baltimore

The other week I attended day 2 of Circle pit Fest (I was at a show in Philly during day 1). It was totally worth the 3 hour drive for a pretty action packed Saturday.

Got there during Cloak/Dagger, due to a necessary Waffle House stop. Missed Chainsaw to the Face (sorry dudes), but caught the majority of Cloak/Dagger's set. I like this band a lot more live than recorded. If you're not familiar, they have a early 80's California punk sound, but recorded it just sounds too slick for me. I guess their LP coming out on Jade Tree will be pretty polished sounding as well. The place the show was at is a bike collective. I have no idea what that means, but it looked like a warehouse with a bunch of bikes in it. It was a decent size, kinda narrow though. It seemed like there was a ton of room in the back, which was filled with bikes. There was alos no bathroom at the place, which kinda sucked that I had to walk around the corner to the movie theater to pee.


Fighting Dogs, who I saw the day before in Philly, were next. I've seen them a lot, since they kind of local. Their sound is sorta crusty metal, but is a lot more interesting than most of that stuff. Played mostly the songs off the cd they released in the little envelope.


I had already see La Piovra twice on their US tour in NJ and Philly, and they kept getting better every time I saw them. It was moreso by chance that I saw them 3 times, but I'm glad I did. They're from Italy, and do the old hardcore sound similar to stuff like Regulations or the Young Wasteners. If they're playing anywhere near you, go see them. It's probably hard for an unknown HC band from Italy to draw people, but it's totally worth your time.

Up next is what some people referred to as the "superset," which consisted of Build your Weapons, Warzone Womyn, Magrudergrind, and XbrainiaX. During this chunk of time, the people I was with went and checked out a movie. I decided to stick it out, plus I had wanted to see Xbrainiax, and had heard good things about the others. They all have an extremely similar sound, paying homage to the heyday of powerviolence.


XbrainiaX was definately my favorite of the bunch, and played over 30 songs in maybe 20-25 minutes. Really short, really fast thrashy hardcore. With bands like that, I like them better in smaller doses. None of the "superset" was bad, just extremely similar to me, but I'm sure someone w/ a more trained ear for that sort of think could tell the difference.


I was really excited to see Positive Reinforcement, since getting their 1 sided LP over the summer. Their sound definately slowed down, to a more midpaced punk band. Their earlier stuff had some catchy parts, but was mainly fast thrashcore. They played everything off that LP, and a few other ones from their 7". People seemed into it, but it looked like a lot of the room left unfortunately.


Blank Stare has 1/2 the members of PosiForce, but has a more agressive sxe sound. Last time I saw Blank Stare, the singer was jumping off everything, and running around like a maniacac, and today's show was no exception. They played mostly the songs from their 2 new 7"s (which I highly recommend), and did a Last Rights cover ("chunks") and a Judge cover ("fed up"). At one point, the singer was standing on top of a cabinet, which didn't look too sturdy. They were definately great, and I think they should be one of the more talked about hardcore bands.



I was really excited to see Government Warning, they were amazing at Pointless Fest, plus by this point I've had their LP for over 3 months. That LP may be the best hardcore record I've heard in the +/- 10 years I've been into hardcore. It seemed like a lot of the crowd re-apeared at this point, and people were going nuts circle pitting and diving from pipes during their set. They played a new song that was awesome, and did a block of 4 covers (minor threat, descendents, adolescents, vile). Covers are pretty fun, but I would've preferred to hear more of their own songs. Either way, if you don't think Government Warning is the best current hardcore band, you're kidding yourself or have bad taste.

86 Mentality and Mind Eraser were next, but a bunch of us went to the Ottobar to catch the Ergs play. I saw the first five 86 Mentaliy songs, which were all off their first 7". It was really good, and I'm glad I finally got to see them, since somethign always happens when I'm supposed to go see them.

Got to the Ottobar during the last Paper Dragons song, which kinda sucked because I liked their demo and wanted to see them. The Ergs were great as always, and it was surreal to see them on a stage with lights and mics. Played a lot of new songs, which the NJ attendants all knew. They even did their Gin Blossoms cover, which is always a hit. Saw a little bit of the Parasites (Para-Ergs), but left since we had a long trip home. Finally got to sleep at 4am, and was totally wiped out.

I got a bunch of new records there, and in general. I'm going to post more reviews, and do a best of 2006 post also. You can check out more pictures from the fest at
http://bleedingedges.net

Ok, I lied.. More reviews

In the last record reviews post, I said I wouldn't do any more because I was going to work on a zine. I'm shooting for a December release of that, but shit happens...

the Fix- At the Speed of Twisted Thought
Finally, the fix get the discography treatment, which will hopefully give them more recognition and maybe bands will start o cover them. If you haven't heard the Fix yet; and like early 80's mid-west hardcore, like Negative Approach or the Necros, then check this out! Their recorded output includes the Vengeance 7", the Jan's Room 7", and a track on the Process of Elimination comp 7". The sound quality is a lot better than the mp3s online or the Touch and Go records bootleg discography. The Fix is up there with the classic grandfathers of hardcore punk, and it's about time they were properly reissued. Now maybe someone will do a Necros discography...


the Spark- Nobody's Laughing
Picked up this LP at the Spark's last show a few weeks ago. The Spark were a fast thrash core band, who were around for a little over 3 years. I've seen them many times, and have all their other records, so naturally I'd be psyched on this. For most fast hardcore bands, the fast/short song delivery falls flat on a full length. This however has enough to keep my interest the whole way through, and manages not to slow down. Great cover at as well, they really went out with a bang and will be missed.


Splitting Headache- Night Terrors
NJ's own all-star band with members of Tear It Up, Dead Nation, Full Speed Ahead, Forward to Death, etc... They released a 7" which was recorded after only being a band for 3-4 months and was ok. By this point, however, the band added a second guitar player, and has been playing most of the better shows around here. The sound a hell of a lot tighter than the 7". If you liked the 7", you'll love this, if you hated the 7", give this a shot. Fast hardcore with influence from some skate-core classics.


Sleeper Cell- s/t
After being delays for a year, and the band's unfortunate breakup, this LP is finally out. I absolutely loved the 2 7"s they had out 2 years ago, and have been looking forward to this record. If you're not familiar with them, they were from Boston, and played fast heavy hardcore in the vein of Deathreat, No Parade, and Balance of Terror. Hopefully there will be some sweet new bands with these guys, but this band was probably one of the most underrated bands of recent years, and I'm bummed I never got to see them. Dude, stop reading this page and fucking buy this record!


Koro- Speed Kills
Koro's always been one of my favorite obscure 80's hardcore bands, their 7" released back in the early 80 was a real scorcher. This LP is taken from a recording session following their 7", and has a bunch of those songs re-recorded along with some new ones. The quality is a little bit rugged, but it says in the liner notes that it was taken from a few cassette tapes. These tapes were probably not kept in good condition. I mean who thinks that the band they were in when they were in high school will be come underground legends, and someone would want to reissue unreleased material. The quality doesn't really bother me, I'm just glad it exists, however if you haven't heard Koro, get the 7" which the same label reissued first. There's a nice interview on the insert, and the layout is pretty slick.


Sunday Morning Einsteins- Sanningen Om
Saw these guys on their recent US tour, and picked up their newest LP, which I don't think is officially out yet. SME are from Sweden and play some fast d-beat crust core. The songs aren't in English, so I have no idea what they're talking about, but the music's cool. They talked trash on Swedish hardcore, but I gotta say I'd rather listen to DS-13 than this.


Cloak/Dagger- Pinata
This is an all-star band of sorts with members of Count me Out and Striking distance, both of which I was never too fond of. This band however, is more influenced by early 80's California punk. Saw them a few weeks ago, and liked them a lot live. The 7" however I think may be recorded too well, and the band could benefit from some more echo, and distortion in the recording quality to give it a more authentic 80's sound. I'm glad that they didn't take the music directions from some of their peers, and do some shitty indie rock emo band. They just got signed to Jade Tree, so keep an eye out, because I'm sure they'll be doing a lot real soon.


Mindless Mutant- s/t
I'm kind of glad there's a resurgence in bands that sound like Infest/ "power violence." This band however, does it best. It doesn't hurt to have members of Spazz and Look Back and Laugh in the lineup. If you're into modern stuff like Mind Eraser, or old stuff like No Comment; you'll love this. I hear the first press sold out lightning fast, so happy hunting.


GO!- Reactive
GO! is another reunited NYHC band, however as opposed to some of their peers, they didn't just do exploitive tours in shitty rock clubs. They actually wrote and recorded a new record, which they put out themselves. Also unlike their peers who recorded new stuff, this most definitely doesn't suck. I guess unlike other NYHC bands, they always had a real social/ political message. They tackled issues of gay rights way before Limp Wrist was around. Hopefully they'll do some more reunion shows soon. The stuff on this record has that classic GO! sound, but the vocal sound a lot better than before; less deep and monotone. Check it out.


Chronic Seizure- s/t
Their second 7", which only has 4 songs; luckily they're all great. I liked their previous "Brainsick" EP, but I like this a lot more. Maybe it's got a faster rough sounding recording quality, but it totally works for them. Highly recommended for fans of Formaldehyde Junkies, Career Suicide, of fans of old early 80's mid-west hardcore.


Hjerte Stop- s/t
Denmark's Kick N Punch records has a stellar reputation for releasing some of the best old school sounding hardcore in Europe. This is no exception, it's definitely got an old early 80's melodic California style sound to it. Sounds similar to the Young Wasteners LP, or early ("80-85") Bad Religion. Probably going to be a little tricky to get a hold of, like all the other KNP stuff, but worth your effort. Some songs in English, some not.

Hardcore rules! I went to Maryland the other weekend to see the Spark's last show, and hit up Celebrated Summers Records. It's a small little room in the back of a comic shop, but it specializes in Hardcore and Punk records. I got a bunch of good stuff at good prices, most notably the Bandana Thrash flexi 7" for $2! If you're ever in Towson, MD go check it out.

more crap to grow out of...

Strung Up / Direct Control
I was lucky to catch a show on these dudes recent tour together. Strung Up are from California, and Direct Control are from Virginia. More on Strung Up below, but the Direct Control tracks are some of their best. DC has found a way to be fast and angry, yet at the same time extremely catchy. Basically, old school hardcore punk rock done right. Some future classics on here, especially "Plea for Peace." I'd say the DC side is best, but you're not losing out with either side. Absolutely essential for fans of old hardcore, and fans of new hardcore played old. Great limited vinyl too!


Strung Up- Society Rot In Hell
After loving their "Warfucked" 7" and a bunch of random mp3s, I picked up their full length recently. Musically, I'd compare Strung Up to the same sound as Caustic Christ. Fast, short, heavy, pissed off songs. Good catchy sing alongs, and fist pumping anthems make for a great west coast punk record.


Witch Hunt- Blood Red States
Witch Hunt's latest offering, after a move to Philly and reorganizing the linup a bit (the drummer moved to 2nd guitar). There's a lot more female/male/female alternating vocals on thsi than before, which is always awesome to hear. If you were on the fence about Witch Hunt's previous albums, this should convince you. I mentioned it in my Pointless Fest review, but the song "Twenty Five" is awesome.


Victims- Divide and Conquer
I enjoyed all the other albums by Sweden's Victims that I've got, and this is more of the same. They sound like heavy fast punk, there's some guitar noodling but it's far from metal. I like the artwork on this too, it's not the typical black dominant layout. The album itself is good, but not really much different than their previous releases (that can be good or bad).


Caustic Christ- Lycanthropy
I was really excited to hear this, since I loved everythign prior to this. I was a little let down, the first song is a pretty slow droning song, and the vocals sound very different. The second and third songs are re-recorded versions of the songs from their limited tour 7" from last year. The production doesn't seem as dirty as their other records, which I think works against them. After 2 listens, there didn't seem to be any new anthems. Don't get me wrong, it's still good but I wouldn't recommend it as a good introduction to the band.


Dead Nation- Passing Phase
This collects the "Face the Nation" and "Cenk EP" 7"s onto a 12" record. Both records have been out of print for a long time now, and were released by the band when they were still together. Obviously you know 4/5 of the later lineup went on to become Tear It Up, so it made the early DN 7" even more scarce once the TIU hype machine got rollin. I wonder why a full discography wasn't done instead, but I guess it's cool that it's music is available at all. A discography CD should come out at some point, since that "Dead End" LP is a killer, and the "Painless" 7" ain't no slouch either. Unfortunately I never got too into them when they were together, because I was an idiot. I did catch that reunion 2 years ago, and it was awesome.


Dirty BS- s/t
Awesome debut 7" from these Canadian rockers. Sounds a hell of a lot like some of my favorite TN bands, like Deathreat or No Parade. Has enough crust and enough old punk influences that it sounds fresh. I'm sure this has cool ex-member status, but this stands by itself as some good shit.


Brain Handle- 2nd s/t 7"
I think I read somewhere that this was recorded at the same time as their first self-released 7". Sounds like heavy old hardcore mixed with some stoner-ish parts. Pretty good and different, like the first 7". I think I'd like it more if I did drugs though... But there's a good balance of old punk to stonery parts, that it doesn't get over powered.


Havoc Records- the first 15 years sampler CD
I got this for free in my Havoc Records order, so I'm not sure how you'd normally get one of thses. Basically it's 38 tracks hilighting Havoc Records' lengthy discography. If for some reason you haven't clued into Havoc's consistantly good records, this would be a great introductions. Sort of like a "punk-o-rama' for real punk.

I decided to only review the new stuff I got recently. While reviewing old stuff may hilight it to someone who had never heard it before, I'd rather just review stuff that people can possibly track down. This will probably be the last reviews for a little while. I'm going to begin working on a zine, which will contain reviews, rants, interviews and pictures from my website.

newest vinyl aquisitions

the majority of these were picked up at Pointless Fest and other recent shows...


Government Warning- No Moderation
If you read my review of Pointless Fest, you'll remember me saying how great these guys were. This LP blows away that amazing 7" they put out last year. There's been some member shuffling, and it seems to have one the trick, because this is one of the best HC records I've heard in the past few years. It's agressive, and at the same time catchy and melodic. Anybody who says there's no more good hardcore bands is a douchebag, because this is evidence that we're in some good times.


Verbal Abuse- Just An American Band (reissue)
I've had mp3s of this record for a little while now, and just got the vinyl reissue from NO Way Records, who has yet to release anythign not worth picking up. Classic hardcore in the vein of bands like Poison Idea and the Offenders. Slayer even covered a couple of their songs. Sounds great, and I feel like an ass for not seeing them when they came here on tour last year.



No Parade- Ceaseless Fire LP + s/t 7"
I checked out this band based on their Memphis, TN connection, which has somewhat of a reputation for churning out some awesome bands. I beieve this band has members of From Ashes Rise and Bury the Living, who I enjoy. I was lucky enough to find both of their releases at Pointless Fest, and neither disappoint. Don't know much about this band in general, but I'm really into this stuff.


Positive Reinforcement- s/t 12"
I did a show for Posi Force and Blank Stare in NJ and picked up these next 2. I liked their s/t 7", and their split with Outraged a lot, but these songs sound pretty different. Not as fast, and a little more melodic but still intense. Has almost more of a Germs sound mixed with good thrash core. The record itself is a clear (no labels too) 1 Sided LP in a silkscreened cover, which apparently glows in the dark. Looks and sound awesome.


Blank Stare- s/t (ThirdxParty) 7"
This record only has 3 songs, which is kind of a bumout, but they're all really good. They all have the word "white" in the title, so there's the theme right there. Blank Stare's sound has changed a bit since the last 7", it's a lot faster and a lot more intense. The vocals even sound a bit more harsh; it's really awesome when bands like these break out of the standard mold of straight edge bands.


Severed Head of State- Fucking Butchery
This is their most recent 7" I believe, which for some reason I just haven't picked up before. They played all three of these anthemic songs when they played at the Mill Creek. I normally wouldn't think of crust punk bands as catchy, but these songs will stick in you head and make you pump your fist. Great supliment to your Tragedy/ World Burns to Death collection.


Imperial Leather- Antibodies
I don't know much about this band other than that they have a member of DS-13, and are from Sweden. Definately different from the DS-13/ETA sound, and a lot more rock and roll influenced. There's a almost Turbonegro sound to it, or rocked out punk. Pretty cool stuff, I may have to hunt down their other releases.


Vicious- Obsessive
Kind of hard to describe this one, I like it. It's kind of like old late 70's punk rock, the kind that was teetering on the new wave bandwagon. It's got some echoey vocals, and an undistroted rawness to it. Gonna need a few more spins, but I'm into it. I think they're from Sweden.



Cardiac Arrest- the old 7" and the new 7"
The first 7" came out early last year, and the new 7" isn't officially out yet. This band is from the growing St. Louis scene, which also produced the Breaks. The sound is somewhat similar to modern bands like the Breaks and Black SS, and has a definate early Boston HC sound. The vocals actually remind me of the Impact Unit 7". Good fast hardcore punk.


Graven Image- Kicked Out of the Scene
Graven Image was a band from the early 80's VA scene, they released this 7" and a split tape with Honor Role (which No Way Records reissued). This record was picked up at the Gov't Warning table at Pointless Fest. Apparently one of them got in contact with the band and found out that there was a small box of unplayed 7"s at one of the guys' house. It's a pretty great record, and fits in with a lot of old DC bands, and has a sound similar to Corrupted Morals. check it out here.


Rabies- Disease Core
Wow, a pleasant surprise. Sounds a lot like California skate rock stuff, mixed with early Black Flag. I like this a lot, very lo-fi recording which matches the music well. If you like skateboarding and early 80's hardcore (and why wouldn't you?), then you should check this out.


Assembly of God 7"
Members of Brother Inferior are in this band, who may or may not be together still. It's got the same political vibe as BI, but a lot more stripped down. A great continuation, and highly recommended for Brother Inferior fans.



ANS- Romancing the Phone + Deadpoint split
ANS does the often overlooked Nardcore/ JFA skaterock sound really really well. Sometimes fast, sometimes surfy. The Romancing the Phone 7" is kind of older, and not as tight sounding, but the Deadpoint 7" is some of thier best stuff. "Sakte Zombies Must Shred" is quite possibly their best song. They've been touring all over the place, so hopefully they played by you this summer, and you got to check them out.


Face Down 7"
This record is from 1993, and has the bass player of Tragedy. They did a split with Copout, so I assumed this band would be as fast and furious as them. I was a little disappointed to be honest, it sounds like a lot of the 90's hardcore and doesn't really stand out as a buried classic. Not terrible, but the Copout 7" is much more noteworthy.


Beneath the Street- Class Struggle
BTS have been one of my favorite locals for a while now. They've gone through some member changed over the past year, and even added a second guitar player on this new 7". There sound is somewhere close to the Suicide File/ Dragnet/ AN but with the raw intensity of Filth. There's some screamed political/social based lyrics over somewhat complex fast punk parts. They just got back from a tour in support of this new record, and I hear it went well.


Seasick/ Don't Wake Up
Two local favorites come together on one recor to accompany their recent tour. Unfortunately there was a falling out with DWU and their singer, so they went on tour as a 3 piece and did a lot of covers then broke up when they got back. They also apparently didn't get the records until they got back from tour, which totally sucks. Both bands have a similar approach, fast political thrashcore. Seasick is still together, and gets better every time I see them. Hopefully they'll keep it together, because the more fast political hardcore bands the better. A great representation of some newer great NJ hardcore.
Fun Fact: I designed the back cover!

I just won a copy of the Clitboys- We Don't play the Game 7" off ebay. I'm really excited, since that 7" is an unappreciated classic early 80's of mid-west hardcore punk.

Pointless Fest review AKA: I Hate the Kids

I had originally planned to do a full review of all the bands I caught, and recount the events of the past weekend. However, if you've been reading various messageboards lately, you may have heard about a riot at this year's Pointless Fest. I'm not going to spread rumors, just stick to an account of what I saw.

THURSDAY
Ray, Katy, and me got there a little late, and totally missed Carpenter Ant. The only thing I have by them is their first 7", which kinda sucks, but I hear they got a lot better. Got there in the middle of Witch Hunt. I unfortunately wasn't able to get any pictures of them, since I couldn't stalk out a good spot. Witch Hunt recently added a new drummer, and their old drummer moved to second guitar. Their new stuff is really really good, I didn't get a chance to pick up their new LP though due to the fest ending early. They ended with the song, "Twenty Five" which reminds me a lot of the Degenerics' "Send in the Clones."


Fighting Dogs were next. I had seen them a bunch of times, and they've always been really good. Since recording their LP they've added a new guitar player and bass player. I guess I should mention that the second guitar player is female and handles half of the vocal duty. Pretty awesome stuff, I picked up the CD of their newer demo.


No Hope For the Kids was the main reason I was willing to venture to Philly on a Thursday. Musically, NHFTK is very melodic punk, from Denmark, that's extremely catchy. They flew out just to play this fest, so I knew that if I didn't go I may never get to see them. Aside for a little argument between members at the beginning, I thought they were awesome. I had a pretty good spot for pictures also. Played all the songs I wanted to hear, and a lot of people knew the songs.

After that, Hellshock played. I never really heard them before, but gave them a shot. The sounds was almost more metal sounding than anything really punk. The vocals were screamed, with double bass drums. Maybe it was just such an extreme difference from NHFTK, but we left early since we had work in the morning.

FRIDAY
Since we got there late yesterday and missed the first band and part of the second band, we decided to leave early. We wound up catching the last 2 Violation songs. Doors were at 7, and we got there at 7:30 so they must've been running pretty early. I've seen Violation like 3 times before, and they're not bad. They're from Philly, so I'm sure I'll get to see them again soon.

Pissed Jeans was next, and I've seen them about 3 or 4 times, and knew what to expect, but wasn't sure what the Pointless Fest crowd would think. Their sound is a heavy stoner punk, and their singer is a maniac. Couldn't get close enough to take pictures, but enjoyed just watching them. They closed with a song off their new single, "I Don't Need Smoke To Make Myself Disappear," which is a slow droning long song. There were a few heckles from the crowd, but people seemed to be into it for the most part.


I was also unsure of what people would think of Government Warning. When Career Suicide played the fest 2 years ago, it seemed like maybe 10 people were really into it, but those 10 people loved it. I made sure to get a spot right against the stage so I could take pictures, which was great, but I got pushed pretty hard into the stage and the speaker a few times. Government Warning has 2/3 of Direct Control, and have a similar old hardcore punk sound, but more melodic. They played a bunch of new songs off their "No Moderation" LP, which was available for the first time at the fest. Thanks to the internet though, it seemed pretty much everyone in the front already downloaded the LP and knew the new songs. They also covered the Descendents, Vile and the Adolescents. I would say they were hands down the best band on this fest.

World/Inferno was next, and I really wasn't interested. I took this free time to go to the record room, and go shopping. I wound up dropping around 50 bucks on records, mostly from the Government Warning table's distro boxes. I had planned on picking up the rest of the items on my shopping list the next day, so I didn't bring all the money I took out. This moderation proved to be a bad decision.

Around 10:30, someone came into the record room and made an announcement that the show was over, and the cops were there. This meant that Severed Head of State wouldn't get to play. When I left the show, I saw a paddy wagon in the middle of the street to the left, and lots of cops with clubs running down the street on the right. There were also news cameras; that would be my cue to exit. When I got to the car, I saw a helicopter hovering over the church so I knew something really bad must've went down.

When I got home, I saw a lot of messageboard posts about how the squatter punks had a riot with the cops. Let me explain, people travel to this show to not see bands, but hang out in the alley on the side of the church and get wasted. These people are a cross between homeless people and hippies and sometimes have dogs with them. They smell and look terrible, from not showering or eating well. Apparently they'd been harassing people in the neighborhood, which got the police in the area. From what I hear, there was an altercation where a group of these "punks" surrounded and attempted to overpower a cop, which was when backup was called and a riot of sorts broke out. None of this would have happened, however, if they were inside watching the bands. So the actions of a few idiots who decided it was cool to be an asshole and travel to Philly to hang out outside the show ruined everyone's weekend.

SATURDAY
After reading that the show was cancelled, I conceded and showered. However around 1pm it was announced that at one of the after party shows that was already scheduled, that Kylesa, No Hope For the Kids and the other out of state/country bands would get to play at the Mill Creek Tavern at 9pm. After destroying some burritos, Ray and me got there, and it was already almost packed. This show was 21+, since it is a bar which in theory should keep the riff raff out. However, the trouble-makers from the night before were probably my age and older.


I haven't seen Kylesa in a few years, and to my surprise they've upped the ante with 2 drummers! I've always loved Kylesa a lot more live than recorded, but I'm still really excited to hear any new stuff with this 2 drummer line-up. They sound a lot heavier than before, and it works really well for them. For some reason I have no interest in metal sounding stuff in the summer, but in the winter I listen to metal a lot. Must have something to do with the weather.

Dismal were supposed to play the after party show anyway, but were also on the fest. I wasn't really too into it, sounded like heavy metallic crusty hardcore. Not generally a bad thing, just didn't really stick out as anything too different. People seemed to like them...

Thought Crime was next, and were laughable terrible. If you were to make the most generic punk band ever, it would sound like Thought Crime. Despite the awesome name, it just sounded like generic "smash the state" punk, complete with a British accent.


It was really awesome to get to see No Hope for The Kids two times, since they were supposed to play Sunday's show and I didn't plan to go to that. I think they played a lot better here than at the church on Thursday. They also played a new song, which was awesome. I had a different side of the stage for pictures this time, so I got some of the other guitar player, despite some chump who kept standing on the stage pretending to know the words.


Severed Head of State apparently played the after party show the night before, and were taking World Burns to Death's place on the show due to their drummer apparently having a seizure the night before. I have a bunch of SHOS records, but haven't listened to them in a few years. I wish I was more familiar with the majority of their songs, because they were fucking incredible. I had a spot on the left side of the stage for picture taking.

After that was the West Philly All-Star Oi! Tribute, however it was getting really late at that point and we made the trek back to NJ, getting home around 3am. Overall, it was a really good time, I just wished it went more according to plan. It just sucks that the actions of a few assholes had to ruin a lot of people's weekend, and ruin future Pointless Fests.

"If you contribute nothing, you deserve nothing; if you contribute something, you deserve everything"- Jack Control (SHOS)

recent record purchases

Compared the majority of reviews in MRR, this shit is Shakespere...

This is all stuff I've aquired over the past month:

Tragedy- Nerve Damage
What more can be said about Tragedy, they're the best band in DIY hardcore. They'll leave a long legacy of followers for years to come, due to their awesome music, and ability to back up their messages. This record is also on Tragey Records, despite 2 of the members having record labels (plus the fact that pretty much any real independant DIY label would kill to release anything by them). This record is a logical progression from Vengeance, but retains the fast punk spirit, crossed with brooding metallic songs. There's even a piano interlude, that somehow isn't even remotely cheesy.


Career Suicide- Attempted Suicide & Anthology of Releases vol. 2
I was lucky enough to catch these boys on their recent tour and get their new LP, which isn't even out yet. You're not going to be disappointed at all, in fact it's their best record yet. The songs are really catchy, not that their other releases aren't. Most bands tend to level off or get worse after their first LP, but someone forgot to inform Career Suicide of this.
Despite having all their records on vinyl, I got the new Anthology Cd. It has the Signals 7", the Invisible Eyes LP, the split LP with Jed Whitey and a few comp tracks and unreleased gems. Perfect for newcomers, or people like me who jsut want all the songs in one place to rip to my iPod.


Deathcycle- s/t
I had been a fan of Deathcycle from the beginning, their 7" and splits were really awesome. This LP takes their metallic crusty political sound a little further. There's definately more metal, which might be attributed to some member changes, but it's still awesome. I haven't seen them in like 2 years, which sucks, but they've always been really good live too. The cover art is really fitting as well.


Toxic Reasons- Independance
Reissue of an unappreciated classic. Toxic Reasons played some British street punk inspired hardcore. It's from the 80's, so yea it sounds great. This has re-recorded versions of the songs from their 7"s and comps, so I was familiar with most of the songs, just not those versions. It's great, more people should get into it.


Criminal Damage- s/t
Pretty much any project involving members of Tragedy (past or present) has been awesome. This is no exception, though certainly not what you'd expect. Sounds like a lot of 80's British punk, mixed with a little early 80's Cali sound. A little bit like waht No Hope For the Kids is doing, definately worth checking out.


Mind Eraser- Glacial Reign
I was reluctant to check out this band, sorry but a Mental and Righteous Jams side-project really doesn't interest me. But after a lot of people telling me it sounds like a powerviolence record, I figured I'd give the first record a chance. This is their second LP, and first with a full lineup. Their first LP was performed by 2 guys. The sound is a lot more crushing than the last one, and sounds a lot more full. Bands like Neanderthal, and Crossed out come to mind. I should also note that they opened up with a Siege cover when they played here last week.


Army of Jesus- Book Bomb & Prosperity . Health . Finance . Wealth
I caught AOJ on their recent summer tour, and picked up these 2 new records. I had gotten the Rats in the Wall 7" last year from them on tour. Unfortunately it seems they've broken up upon returning home. The music is some awesome foreign influenced fast hardcore punk. They covered my favorite Raw Power song when I saw them, so that may give you a band referance to start with. They will be missed


Fucked Up- Litany (Havoc repress)
Aside from a sort of weird artsy vibe, Fucked Up play some rockin' punk jams. "Reset the Ride" is a definate keeper on this short 4 song 7". I always kinda thought it sucked when foreign bands released short 7"s, due to importing a record from Canada a lot of their 7"s wind up costing like $6. If Fucked Up focused on releasing more songs on less records, I'd probably be more into them. Like it or not, however they're one of the best bands going today.


Brain Handle- s/t
I know listing Black Flag as an influence these days is usually poinless, since most of the time they don't sound anything close. This time however, there's definately some Ginn inspired noodling going on in the best possible way. Reminds me of Life Sentence or early Articles of Faith, maybe a little Jerry's Kids. However there's a definate later era Flag thing going on at the same time. 2 fast ragers, 1 slow rager-pretty different, I like it.


Limp Wrist- Want Us Dead
Gimmicks aside, yes Limp Wrist is a little over the top at times. However, they've been able to supliment this with some awesome sounding old school hardcore that's catchy and memorable. So what if the sing alongs are about liking dudes. The songs have a social conciousness toward the gay community, as you would assume.


Brother Inferior- Anthems '94 '97
I found a copy of their LP in a used bin a few months ago, and ever since have been in love with this band. This is their discography, which has the LP some 7"s and split. What you get is 36 tracks of fast political old school hardcore. In today's political climate it's almost a good career move to have politically based songs (look at Green Day), but these songs ooze with sincerity. The vocals remind me of the singer from AFI, (before he got a sex change - seriously, have you seen him lately?) but are much more harsh.

Kanamits- demo (CD-R)
First off, punk bands with girl singers always rule in my opinion. Sound-wise it's really fast stripped down old school punk. Comparisons to Sin 34 and I Object are appropriate, but the music is a hell of a lot more raw. Totally awesome, looking forward to more from them.

American Cheeseburger- demo (cassette tape)
Picked up this when they came through on tour last week. The band's from GA, and feature members from Goat Shanty. What you get is 2 sides worth of fast punk, bordering on powerviolence. I like it a lot, and will be looking forward to more releases by these guys. Yes, they're as awesome as their name would suggest!

grr record player issues...

So for some reason my record player doesn't like to work in the summer. Maybe it's the heat, but it seems pretty ridiculous. I will sometimes play once, then when the arm goes back automatically, it won't stay down, or won't go onto a new record. So needless to say, it's very frustrating. I'll review these 2 records I got last week based on what I could get to hear.


Look Back and Laugh- Street Terrorism
A new 7" by one of the best current bands these days. I picked this up when I saw them last week, and boy is it great. Their sound is pretty fast harsh energetic hardcore punk. Pretty much picks up where the last LP left off. This one even has a sick intro, and maybe a little more (dare I say) melodic. Vocals are still harsh as ever, and I'm still surprised a female singer can sound that fierce. It's great, I want more.


Siege- s/t
This LP has the classic 7", which is pretty much the foundation for grindcore. What can I say about siege, it's essential stuff and influenced a lot of heavy fast hardcore bands. It's waaaay faster than anything else that came out in 1983, and is awesome.

Poison Control- demo (cassette tape)
Luckily I don't need a record player (or a cd player) for this one. First off, the demo came on a cassette with a photocopied cover. May not seem like a big deal, but it's been too long since I've gotten one of these. I caught this band last week with LBAL, and they were awesome. Really cool old sounding hardcore punk that kinda reminds me of the Freeze. Lyrically, they touch on politics and conspiracy, as well as growing old in the scene. It's really good, and adds to the long line of great bands currently blossoming from the Boston area.

Musical Monkey

I decided to do a little spring cleaning, and brought in about 50 records in to Curmudgeon Music, my favorite record shop. Here's what I got with my credit:




Brother Inferior- Six More Reasons
Brother Inferior- Anthem For Greater Salvation
I had a split 7" of theirs with NOTA, which I remembered liking. These 2 records were a dollar each, so I figured I'd check out more of their stuff. WOW, am I glad I did... The 7" is good, but the LP totally kills. Musically it reminds me of Crispus Attucks, fast old hardcore with lyrics about america, religion, women's rights, and various other social/political issues. I don't know much about this band really, but I want to know more.


What Happens Next?- the First Year
Had this stuff on vinyl for years, minus the comp tracks. Probably wouldn't normally have picked it up if I didn't have the credit. Figured I could lisen to it at work, and put it on my iPod this way. The CD just reminds me of how good WHN? was. I never got to see them live, which is a total bummer.


the Profits- USAtrocity
I was supposed to see them a few years ago, but their van broke down and they never made it until the show was over. The 7" is ok, not something I'd want to hold onto, or listen to over and over again. Crusty political punk with male/femal vocals, it's been done better before.


Bury the Living- s/t
Someone had recommended this band to me based on my post about Copout on 7inchpunk.com, since it has ex-members. Damn, this band's real real good. I'm gonna have to find more by them, it sounds like fast raw distorted old hardcore. Real real good shit here.


Antiseen-
I don't know much about these guys either, but this 7" is like heavy southern rock. Not really into it


Pissed Jeans- Don't Need Smoke To Make Myself Disappear
This is their first record on Sub Pop Records, and it looks like all the other sub pop singles (even comes on piss yellow vinyl). I got into this band based on the members' previous bands (Ultimate Warriors, Gate Crashers, etc...), but this is a lot different. There's heavy parts, that are I guess kinda stoner rock-esque. I'd probably have to do drugs to fully appreciate this band, but I still think they're cool. All their previous releases took a while to grow on me, so I assume this will too, but right now it's just ok.


the Meatmen- Crippled Children Suck
The Meatmen is one of those bands you hear a lot about in terms of old school punk. I hadn't really heard much by them, but what I heard was ok. Picked this up and was kind of let down, the songs weren't too catchy and there was nothing that really grabbed me. I'll give it another chance, but as of now, I'm not too into it.


A.N.S.- the Pool LP
Picked this up when I saw them the other week. Visually the record looks great, with a senciled grip tape cover (which I assume is limited), and it sounds great too. There's a lot of bands doing the whole skate punk worship thing, but these guys do it probably the best. Sounds like bands like JFA and the Faction who were more surf guitar influenced, rather than DRI's metal guitar. There's some instrumental parts that are really cool, and there's lots of samples of skateboarding sounds. If you like skating and old skate punk, give em a whirl. They just got back from europe and are doing a full US tour next month.


Tonite I'm going to see Look Back and Laugh, who I'm really excited to see. I caught them last year and Pointless Fest and was blown away. Had the split with Dropdead previously, but after seeing them I ran to their merch table and got their 2 LPs and a shirt.

I hate music... I love noise

Deep Sleep- You're Screwed
Wow, a great new band from the MD/DC area. I know a couple of guys were in Never Enough, but this sounds nothing like that band. It's got an echoy surfy guitar, with an early 80's California punk sound to it. I really like this, It sounds and looks like an old 80's hardcore punk record. The thin paper sleeve and one color high contrast art match the sound perfectly. Fans of the Adolescents, Agent Orange, and maybe even a little Descendents should check it out.


the Observers- Where I Stay
I just missed the boat on this band, after hearing good things about them, I picked up there CD and loved it. Then I found out they had already broken up, I was bummed but luckily they had recorded this record before calling it quits. Sound wise, it sounds like the stuff on the "So What's Left Now" CD. Melodic poppy punk,


the Ergs- Art of the Underground vol. 8
What more can I say about the Ergs, they play some great pop punk and make NJ proud. Here's 2 new songs, one I think is a cover. Side A is "jazz is the new coke," which can interpreted as "jazz is like the New CocaCola (ie: not good)," or "jazz is the new cocaine (ie: new addictive trend)." Regardless of the Ergs opinions on jazz, it's a swell little record. The thing is limited to only 250 copies, so I wouldn't be surprised if it's gone already. Art of the Underground does a limited singles series, and also released that Skate Korpse limited 7" that I could never track down.


Suicide Party- You're All Invited
Man, when I threw this on I felt like such an idiot for not buying this sooner. I had the split with the Scarlet Letter, and maybe listened to it once. Buy yea, you'd think "ex-talk is poison, full speed ahead and copout" would make me go get it in a second. Basically it's the best combination of all those bands, raw distorted and catchy. I think they may have another 7" out there that I'll need to track down. It's really great, don't sleep on it like I did.


Magrudergrind- Owned!!
I'd been hearing a lot about these guys, they're from DC I believe. It's an OK record, maybe just too fast for me (I never thought I'd say that). I run hot and cold with grindcore, usually I prefer stuff that would lead more to the "powerviolence" side of things than the Napalm Death/Anal Cunt side of things. It's not bad, just not my thing.


Infest- Slave
I was pretty siked to find this in the used bin, no only because it was on green vinyl, but it's a pretty awesome LP. My Infest collection was made up of a few records, but I only had Slave for the longest time in only mp3 format. If you don't know who Infest is, I suggest looking into it if you like fast angry hardcore. A lot of powerviolence bands owe this band, for basically inventing that sound. Rumors had been circulating for the past few years of a reunion, but I've never been one for reunions really.

Memorial Day weekend antics

Wow, busy past few days... Did some record shopping, went to a show and saw X-Men 3 this weekend. Plus this week at work, I have like 15 DVD covers due. If I haven't mentioned before on here that I design DVD covers for a living (though it's not much of a living).

I got to see Tragedy, Warhead, Forward, Violation, and Drawing Dead at the First Unitarian Church in Philly this weekend. I like the church, it's pretty big for large crowds like this. A lot of people complain about the heat and the smell, but it doesn't really bother me. Drawing Dead and Violation are both new bands from Philly, and were good but seemed a little rough around the edges and better suited for a basement show. Forward played next, which was kind of a surprise since I expected Warhead to play next according to all the flyers and internet postings. My first encounter with Forward was 2 years ago when my old band, SNAKEBiTE played with them. I had loved their Burn Down the Corrupted Justice CD, and also got their Fucked Up LP. Unfortunately they only played 5 songs, which were all on Burn Down the Corrupted Justice. I guess there was a rush since it was a matinee show that had to end by 6. They were really awesome though, and the singer started out by saying "WE ARE FORWARD, WE ARE FORWARD, FROM JAPAN, FROM JAPAN, FUCK GEORGE BUSH," then proceeded to play "Fuck Bush" off their latest album. Warhead I knew nothing about other than they were from Japan. They sounded pretty similar to Forward, maybe a little faster and also played a relatively short set. I liked them a lot, and I'll have to track down some vinyl. The singer puked while they were playing, it was pretty nasty. Tragedy played last; I consider Tragedy the best current band. They may not be my favorite, but certainly the best. The raw energy and ferocity when they play is undeniable, and when I went to give them stickers after they played since I took some rad pictures they were super nice. They played a ton of great songs off their older records and 2 from the brand new one which totally rules. They even played "the Point of No Return" as an encore. I'll be seeing them again in NJ on Friday, and I can't wait!

X-Men 3 was pretty much a disappointment. There was a new director which could account for it, but the writing seemed all over the place. It seemed to have the storyline of Jean returning from the dead as the Phoenix, Magneto gathering an army to destroy humans, and the government inventing a weapon that will take away a mutant's abilities. Being a big X-Nerd, there were many inconsistencies in these stories compared to the comic. I would have preferred a new take on the Phoenix storyline rather than just have Jean turn red and float around with a bunch of power. The most disappointing scene in the movie is where the Juggernaut actually say "I'm the Juggernaut, Bitch." This is taken from a little movie clip that had been circulating the internet, I won't post a link because it's too stupid. I'd think with all the money the writers got that they could avoid referencing the internet video in a major motion picture big budget film. I mean if you liked the first 2, see it eventually. If you didn't see the others then don't bother at all. I'd still say that X-men 2 was the best one, but by no means is it a flawless trilogy.

*I'll make another posts about the new records once I get to listen to them all*

Music is my girlfriend

While I was gone, I got these 3 records in the mail. None of them came with those little plastic bags. Record labels: use plastic bags, so I don't have to steal the bags of crappy records to put on good records.

I Object/ FxPxOx
I Object is one of my favorite bands going today. While they may not be the best technical musicians, their message and dedication is something to look up to. They just put out an amazing LP on Alternative Tentacles (yes, that Alternative Tentacles), and before had put out records on their own label(s). They've also toured the USA numerous times, and are currently in Europe for the next month or so. The stuff on this record is by no means their best, but in no way bad. Pretty much the same formula of fast old school HC/Punk with social/political lyrics. There wasn't any female/male alternating vocal parts, which I always enjoy. They actually overdubbed the singer twice in one song rather than having the guitar player sing backups, like usual. That's my only little gripe, it's still great. FxPxOx are from Macedonia, I honestly don't know exactly where that is, I'm pretty sure it used to be a part of the USSR. Either way, FPO are a really good fast political type sXe band. I first got introduced to their music when I was asked to do the design for their split 7" with Secret Seven on Moo Cow Records. One this 7" they only do one song, but it's pretty good. I think the split with secret 7 had like 6 songs, so it kind of shows how their song writing has evolved. Overall, the 7" has two great bands with something god to say from different parts of the world, who are both Straight Edge. It's also nice to see that 4 different record labels collaborated to put this out.

No Hope For the Kids- "Angels of Destruction"
Before the No Hope For the Kids LP was re-released this year, I'd get weekly e-mails from people wanting me to trade my copy to them. I don't really care about the collector value of the original pressing, I just got lucky and found it. But it's an amazing LP, which just sounds like old 80's melodic hardcore punk. It kind of reminds me of the Subhumans (from Canada) or the Observers. This 7" is pretty tricky to get, as are most bands from the Denmark area, but I found it on eBay which sucks because it just came out and I would've had no problem buying from the label directly. This record only has 2 songs, but they're great and I hope they do another LP. I also just found out that they're playing Pointless Fest this year, I'll be there!

Deathreat/ DSB
Deathreat was a band I always liked, but never really loved, until I found their LP in a used bin. For some reason it really grabbed my attention, and made me dust off the other records by them I had owned for years. I might've been the Koro cover, but it might've been the fact that it totally rules. So I found this on eBay, and was surprised to get it pretty cheap. DSB is some pretty intense Japanese hardcore. I missed them when they came through on tour a few years ago, which sucks. I like Japanese hardcore a lot for it's speed and intensity, but the language barrier prevents me from getting too into it.

I wouldn't really all myself a record collector really, more of a record accumulator. I'd never spend ridiculous amounts of money on a record just because it's limited or super old. I'd rather spend 100 bucks on 100 budget 7"s, than 100 bucks on 1 7" I'll never listen to since I had it on CD for years. I'm sure by Monday I'll have a new stack of music to listen to. I just got my ticket to see Tragedy, Forward and Warhead in Philly. It should be stinky, sweaty and crowded... What more could you want?

Florida and records

This'll be my last post for a few days, I'm going to Florida Wednesday night until Monday night to visit my favorite Floridian, Annie. I'll be on the beach, while it's raining and crappy in NJ. I'm also going to go to Islands of Adventure, where they have a Marvel comics themed park. I'm hoping to get a picture with someone dressed as Wolverine.

Recent Record/CD Purchases:


the Ergs- "Jersey's Best Prancers"
This was recorded a while, and just took forever to actually come out. While it may not be as fast as "Dorkrockcorkrod," it's still really really good. Sounds like they've been listening to the Replacements a lot lately. Most notable might be that Scott Reynolds from ALL sings backup vocals on one of the songs... I know crazy right? Seriously, this CD rules and the Ergs really are bigger than Jesus (in my eyes that is).


the Yah Mos Def- "Plays Ugly For Suckers"
A 5 song EP from this Philly hip hop group, scroll down to the show review to get more info about them. Basically it's as if the Beastie Boys had kept the punk energy and sound. Great CD, and it leaves you wanting more.


the Jury- "I Hate the Future"
Great debut for this upstate NY band, sound wise I get a 9 Shocks/ Poison Idea vibe. Fast raging distorted hardcore with strained vocals. Word out on the street is that it's limited, so track it down, before it goes on eBay.


Black SS- "self titled"
I was putting off buying this, since the few songs I heard online were kind of ok, but not mind blowing. I decided to pick it up from the Jury last week though. I'm glad I did, it's real good mid-paced hardcore punk. It's really good to see straight edge bands that lean more toward the punk side of the fence than the jockish hardcore side. I'd like to see them live and pick up some more records by them.

They Might be Giants

On Friday my partner in crime, Laura and I went to see They Might Be Giants at the TLA in Philly. In the past I had been more of a casual fan, first hearing about them through Tiny Toons. They had an episode where they made videos for "Istanbul" and "Particle Man." Then about 2 years ago, I worked with someone who brought a CD of theirs into work, and so I borrowed it and really liked it. Knowing Laura is a big Barenaked Ladies fan, I figured she's like TMBG... I was right. I'd probably say she likes them even more than me, so when we saw they were playing in Philly, we got our tickets.

We wound up getting there a little late, due to Philly's lack of parking. I don't think we missed much since they said thank you, how's everybody after the first song we heard, which was "James K. Polk." The crowd was probably the nerdiest crowd at any concert ever... so many glasses in the room. They played a bunch of my favorites, like "Cyclops Rock," "Istanbul,"Dr. Worm" and "New York City." They even played my favorite song, "James Ensor" which I never would have expected. They had a new CD/DVD of songs written about the various venues they played across the country. They even had one about the TLA, which also had the roadies doing YMCA-esque hand movements. It was pretty awesome, and they probably played for close to 2 hours. I definitely would go see them again, It's nice to go to a show and not have to worry about meatheads pushing into you constantly.

Wednesday's show

Thanks a lot to the Think Tank house, all the bands and all the kids who came out. A good time was had by all, and no problems aside for a 2 hour delay in starting.

my band- we played alright, coulda been better if we had a chance to practice before the show. We only played 3 songs, but people seemed into it. We still don't have a name, but were referred to as "Group Hug" and "Dr. Acula" by various hecklers.


the Jury- this was the first day of their 2 week tour, and were the reason the show was set up. I thought they were great, their sound reminds me of a less distorted 9 Shocks Terror. I picked up their 7", and it's a scorcher on pink vinyl with a spraypainted and silkscreened cover (which smells really unpleasant). They were touring with a fill in drummer, who is also in Positive Reinforcement and Blank Stare who also rule.


Yah Mos Def- I was hoping it wouldn't bee too weird, but I was glad to see people into it. Basically imagine the Beastie Boys... hardcore kids who somehow fell into hip hop. Two guys with tons of energy rapping to beats from an iPod with plenty of hardcore references. I think a line from one of the songs was something like "I'm young till I die like Kevin Seconds." Their CD is awesome too, but should be longer than 5 songs though... I want more!


Fanshen- They have been around for like 10 years, with a brief 4 year hiatus in the middle. I was really glad they could play, since they only seem to play maybe 2 or 3 shows per year. They played a bunch off the LP, "Static/Kinetic," they even played a bunch of new songs, which were great. Their sound is rooted in fast hardcore, but have very political/ social lyrics which border on spoken word at times.


The Ergs- My favorite band from NJ, they're pretty much great in every way. Started off by playing their entire new CD, "Jersey's Best Prancers" in order. They also played the classics, and some new jams. Their sound I suppose could be described as classic pop-punk, like the Descendents/ All and the Ramones with other various rock and pop music influences. I'm glad that on a show with fast loud hardcore, and even a hip hop group, they can hold their own and fit in.

more pictures at: http://bleedingedges.net/hc

last weekend's used bin scores

I went to my favorite NJ record store, Curmudgeon Records last weekend to peruse the used vinyl bins and drop off some flyers. Here's what I found:


Scare Tactic- s/t
Didn't know anything about them, seemed cool and was a buck. I think what sold me on it was that they're from Canada and the guitar player had a Siege shirt on. It's actually really really good fast lo-fi recorded hardcore. Almost a Dropdead quality to it. I could be wrong, but I think the guitar player is now in Career Suicide. The 7" is from around 2000, and I'd be interested to know more about this band.


the Pist / Brutally Familiar- "Small Town Justice"
I've loved the Pist for a long time, and always had trouble finding their vinyl, (anybody wanna trade me a Destroy Society 7"?). Apparently a discography CD is in the works, which should be awesome. This 7" has their own brand of intelligent street punk that I love from the other records that I love. There's even a version of "Small Town" that I assume predates the version on "Ideas Are Bulletproof." Brutally Familiar are more along the lines of faster almost crust-ish hardcore. I mainly bought it for the Pist side, but the Brutally Familiar side will get some more spins. Great deal for a buck.


V/A- Reproach: 8 modern bands covering Negative Approach
The title pretty much says it all, although the bands aren't very modern anymore. Some good ones like Dropdead, Spazz, Voorhees, Man is the Bastard, and others do pretty good versions on NA. I always kinda thought NA was kinda overrated, good yes, but not in the league of Minor Threat and Black Flag. This one was 3 bucks, but it's way out of print. Overally a good haul for 5 bucks total.

stuff in the mail

got a package of the records I ordered from Fashionable Idiots Records yesturday.

Formaldehyde Junkies- s/t

The Formaldehyde Junkies are from MN, and play some straight up old school hardcore punk. Sound if pretty lo-fi, which isn't an issue for me, I welcome it frankly. A lot of bands as they evolve and put out more records seem to pay more attention to sound quality, not these guys. The recording may even be more rough than their first 7" on Firestarter Records. This one picks up where the last one left off with their Fix influenced early 80's midwest scene sound. The record clocks in under 3 minutes for 4 songs, so it's over before you have the chance to tie your shoe (which I discovered this morning).

Chronic Seizure- "Brain Sick"

Chronic Seizure i really didn't know much about before, but figured I'd give it a shot since I was ordering from the label anyway. The band has members of 14 or Fight, who I liked from their 7" on Lengua Armada. Sound-wise it's sort of similar to the FJs old school hardcore approach, but the vocals are a lot rougher. I like it a lot, and it came on green vinyl, which I don't see all that often. It's fun to take a chance on new bands...

I also saw the Ergs, Modern Machines, and the Measure in New Brunswick, NJ last night. The Ergs are one of the best current bands, they're always tight and write some awesome tunes. The Modern Machines really impressed me, it was my first time seeing them and my only referance for them was their split with the Ergs. Real good poppy punk rock, they even did an Ergs cover. I wish i had more cash to pick up some of their music. The Measure played first, and I missed all but the last 3 songs. I liked what I heard, and bands with girl singers always tend to catch my attention. I'd definately check them out again.

Hopefully, I'll be seeing Kylesa and Victims in Philly Friday. Victims blew me away when I saw them at Pointless Fest 2004 summers ago. My show's all booked, I'll be posting a flyer and a full run-down soon.

last week's music purchases

Pink Razors- Waiting to Wash Up CD

The press releases and descriptions I read seemed to herald them as the re-inventors of pop-punk. Now I mean I grew up loving Screeching Weasel and the Descendents, and think the complete garbage calling itself pop-punk is an insult to those bands. While yes it would be a big task to "re-invent pop-punk," I'm not sure if the Pink Razors are the ones to put your stock in. Vocals remind me of MC Chris, it's solid and poppy, just could use some more speed. I found it in a used bin, so for the $4, it's a good find. I'd be curious to hear more, but I probably wouldn't actively hunt it down.

Major Conflict- Sounds like 1983 CD

So I normally love when people re-release unheard of early 80's hardcore bands. This band was from NYC, but predates what people would consider the NYHC sound, which in my eyes is a good thing. I could never get down with the overly tough vibe with borderline metal sounding music. This stuff if pretty good, by no means as good as Antidote or even Kraut, but pretty solid. Another used bin find, and a good one at that. I'd rather see the worst bands from the early 80's getting their place in stores again than some of the more popular current bands.

Suburban Death Machine- Not Here to Make Friends LP

All I really know about this band was that they're from Pittsburgh, PA and has members of Crucial Unit, and Intense Youth. Pretty good resume right there, so I figured I'd give the LP a shot. The cover is silkscreened, and I believe it was self-released, so It's somewhat limited and tricky to find it. I would recommend putting the time in to tracking it down. It's fast old no bullshit hardcore, along the lines of old good Boston bands like the FU's and Jerry's Kids, with a rockin feel like Fucked Up but without being annoying like Fucked Up.

Honor Role- 1982 7"

This record is a reissue of an old band's 1982 material, which originally appeared on a split with Graven Image. I was familiar with Graven Image's "Kicked Out of the Scene" EP via music blogs, and so I was assuming this band rules too. I was right, this stuff is a lot better than Graven Image even, if you're into early 80's DC hardcore and the midwest scene from the same era, you won't be disappointed. I don't know much about them, other than they were from Virginia, but holy shit. No Way Records continues their flawless track record.

Suicidal Tendencies- Hate you Better EP

I'll be honest, I only got this because of the rediculous packaging. Plus it was 2 bucks... Musically, It's not my favorite era of Suidal Tendncies. A little too much metal for me. The record itself is a purple heart shaped disc, and the cover looks like a bandanna. So for visual effects, plus the fact that it was $2 i have no complaints...

Deadfall- Keep Telling Yourself it's OK 7"

I was lucky to cath Deadfall on their recent tour with I Object! in Philly a few weeks ago. On the tour they didn't have their new 7"s out, so they were selling CDrs and promising to mail everyone a 7" when they got back. I had almost forgotten about this, and maybe half expected to get anything. Last Saturday, however I was treated to a beautiful 7" in my mailbox. I'm not sure if i got a limited version, but the vinyl is this white with blue tye-dye splash. The music is the same no nonsense old school hardcore punk. I liked the Comrades 7", loved the LP, and found the rest of the out of print stuff on soulseek. This Ep pick up right where they left off, don't sleep on it. I can only assume this band is huge on the west coast, but the east coast needs to wise up and check this band as well as everything else on Tank Crimes.